The Amulet Book 2: The Stonekeeper's Curse
by Justin Durfee
Summary: Emily and Navin have managed to stay under the radar for the most part so far, but now a dangerous new enemy is on their tail and they discover that the world they've come to is on the verge of all-out war. As new friends and unexpected allies join their company, Emily and Navin learn and discover things about themselves they never would have dreamed were possible.
1. Prologue

Gulfen, the home of the elves. The land was hot, low and dry. Very little rain ever reached beyond the peaks of Ganon's Gate, a range of tall jagged mountains so close together that the rain clouds were almost always stopped on the western slopes, and the only rain ever seen within the land came from the sea. But the landscape was so flat that only the mountain cities ever saw moisture. Among these cities was Stengard, capital of the elf kingdom. At its peak was a palace, but not the kind commonly envisioned in tales of brave knights and grand courts. This palace was just the opposite. Its structures were constructed from the rock on which they sat. Its walls were jagged and dark, just like the land they overlooked. A long winding pathway zigzagged its way up through the city to the palace gate from a valley so narrow that it would impede even the mightiest army. It was for this reason that the majority of the elves' armies were kept spread out across the desert terrain of Gulfen, and the green, fertile land of Windsor, the elves' nearest neighbor.

On the pathway leading into the city, a young elf man was being led by two guards. He struggled against his captors, screaming insults and vulgar curses as he fought to break their hold on him. But it was no use. The guards' grips were too strong. Even if he were able to break free, they would just as soon disable him with their bladed staffs. Nevertheless, he struggled, determined to get away and escape his audience with the one he feared and hated.

"Let me go!" he demanded as he twisted again. "I don't want to see him!" He gave another yank accompanied by a sudden twist, try-ing to extract himself from their grip and break the twine that bound his wrists, but the guards' grip remained firm.

The guard on his left tightened his grip and shook him. "You better start behaving, boy," he warned. "Your father will hurt you worse we will, I promise you." He forced his young captive to turn toward him, and bearing his multitude of sharp teeth, snarled, "And I for one hope he does."

The boy only glared at him. "Just remember who you're talking to, servant," he spat. For this, the guard wound back and landed a hard blow to his cheek. The boy spun from the force of the hit and fell to the ground with a grunt.

"That was done on the king's orders," the guard growled. "The next time I poke you, I'm gonna break something. Got it?" The young man shot him an angry sideways glance. The guards each then grabbed one of his arms and hauled him to his feet, forcing him to go with them as they continued their journey to the palace atop the city.

When they reached the gate and pounded the heavy wood, a small window in the middle of it slid open, through which two slitted glowing eyes peeked. "Who goes there?" asked a strange, slithering voice.

"Prince Trellis is here to see his father, the elf king," one of the guards said.

The window closed, and after several locks and bolts were thrown, the gate opened and a curious figure appeared. He was short with the eyes and ears of an elf, but of a completely different race. "Ah," he exclaimed as he fully opened the door. "Welcome back, sir!"

The guards shoved their captive through the door and into a grand hall with massive pillars on each side. At the far end was a low stage on which a throne sat. On this throne was the young man's father, the elf king. He sat in it, leaned against the high back with his hand clasped under his chin. The only way anyone could tell he was an elf was by the ears. His face was covered by the stone which had consumed him so long ago. The guards shoved the boy to the ground before the king, and the boy hit his knees with a deep "Oof!" Then one fo the guards cut his bonds with a knife.

"So," the elf king began slowly. "I suppose it should not surprise me that my son has failed me once again."

"I haven't failed," Trellis replied. "I just got held up. You must understand, father, these things take time."

"Of which you've had plenty," the elf king said. "And I am growing impatient. What you need now is the aid of experience."

"No," Trellis said.

"Luger will join you on your return to ensure the mission is successful," said the elf king, indicating the tall bald man at his side.

"I can do this on my own," Trellis replied, emphasizing his desire to prove himself.

But the elf king disregarded his refusal. "Luger will help you," he said simply.

"You know that I work alone!" Trellis shouted.

"Why do you resist?" the elf king asked calmly. "Did you not ask me to lend you more support?"

"I asked for soldiers," Trellis cried angrily. "Not a chaperone!"

The elf king leaned forward, his faceless mask trained on his son. "Luger fights with the strength of ten soldiers," he said. "He will serve you well." With that, he leaned back and clasped his hands together.

Trellis glared, first at his father, then at Luger, who stood tall and erect, looking very powerful and sinister in his black robe. Then Trellis stood, turned on his heel, and stomped away.

As he watched his son go, the elf king asked Luger, "Do we have the children's location?"

"Not yet, my lord," Luger replied. Then with a toothy grin, he added, "But the hunt is already afoot. And if everything goes well, I expect we will know their location very soon."


	2. Chapter 1

Windsor, a place of plenty. In sharp contrast to Gulfen's flat desert, the landscape of Windsor was lush and green with small rolling hills, high mountain ranges, deep valleys, immense grassy plains and one large river fed by countless estuaries. Vast forests of pine, fir, spruce and other coniferous trees filled the valleys and grew so tall and so thick and so little light penetrated the thick canopy overhead that the visibility at ground level was next to zero…unless you're above them.

For three such people, above the trees was where they were. Two of them were Emily and Navin, a brother and sister who had come to this alien world in search of their mother Karen, who had been brought here by a nightmarish creature called an arachnopod. In their attempt to rescue her, Karen had been poisoned by the arachnopod and was now a deep coma. Now, they went along, crashing through the thick trees inside of a walking house. Things from this world were as alien as any extraterrestrial, and intelligent robots and walking houses were the least of them. At the helm of this mechanical marvel were a robot and his young companion, who were in the cockpit doing maintenance on the main drive monitors and pressure lines.

"There," announced the robot as he finished tightening a bolt, his voice resonating through his metallic body. "That should do her." He turned around at the sound of a hiss to see his young companion working on a valve. "How's it going over there, Navin?" he asked.

Navin, who was about eight, gripped the valve handle and turned. The hissing stopped. "I got it secured, Cogsley," he reported as he replaced the cover. "That valve shouldn't get us any more trouble for a while."

Cogsley's face skewed in what Navin expected was the robot's best imitation of a smile. "Good work, kid," he said, slapping the boy's shoulder. "Now, let's get this thing moving." He went back toward the front of the cockpit. "You take the pilot's seat. It's time you learned to drive this thing."

Navin's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Really?" he asked. "I mean, are you sure I'm ready?"

The robot's answer was simple. "If you don't feel up to the task, then don't bother." The corner of his jutting lower jaw quirked up just a hair in a robot's best imitation of a smirk.

Navin saw this and smiled. "No, I want to," he said with determination. "I need to."

"That's the spirit," Cogsley exclaimed in approval. "Now take your station, Captain Navin."

"Yes sir," replied Navin, saluting. He rushed over to the pilot's chair and sat in it reverently. He smiled, taking the control in his hands. "Okay, how do we start this thing?"

Cogsley waved his hand over the front control panel. "You see these here?" Navin nodded. "They route power to the various systems of the house." He indicated what each set did in turn, starting with the far left. "These over here regulate the steam pressure inside the main engine. Be sure to keep a close eye on the gauges, or one of the seals could rupture."

Navin nodded, taking in the information. Cogsley moved along to the next set, indicating the switches on top first. "These switches here are what route power to the gears in the arms and legs. Flipping them in certain sequences and combinations will make the limbs move in different ways. But that's a bit more advanced, so we'll wait on that." Then he indicated the lever. "This down here maintains the house's center of balance. Shifting it one way or the other will shift the balance in that direction. It can come in handy if you find yourself on the edge of a cliff."

"Let's hope we don't find ourselves there," Navin said softly.

Cogsley nodded. Finally, he swept his hand over the far right of the panel. "These over here work the lights. These on the right will turn the main floodlights on or off and determine how bright they are. The ones on the left operate the lights inside the house. As you can see, there are two dozen; each set controls how much power goes to what light in which room." He sat down in the copilot's seat. "If for some reason I'm disabled, you'll need to take the controls, all right?"

"Got it," Navin replied simply.

Cogsley looked over at him. "Navin, look at me." Navin turned to face him. "This thing isn't one of your simple little toys; it's a very large and complex piece of machinery. If I go offline for some reason or another, I'll need you to take the controls. You're my insurance policy here, okay?"

"Okay, Cogs," Navin said, calling the robot by his nickname. "You can count on me."

"I don't believe I have a choice," Cogsley said.

* * *

Meanwhile, four other robots were in the kitchen. One of them, named Miskit, was a very peculiar creation. She was built in the form of a bipedal pink stuffed bunny rabbit—with a patch on her left ear and the front of her upper torso—and programmed to be a constant companion to Navin's older sister, Emily. She stood on a short stool at the stove, managing the bacon, eggs, sausages and pancakes cooking in four separate pans. She slid the spatula under an egg and called, "Theodore, be careful with those dishes."

Theodore, a short wastebin-looking robot, whirred around the kitchen on his single wheel carrying dishes that rattled and clanked in his grasp as he wheeled from one cabinet to the next. Bottle, a tall and boxy fellow, stood at the counter, chopping a loaf of bread. Vac, a cylindrical robot whose only function was to clean the floors, wheeled around Bottle's feet, sucking up the crumbs that fell off the cutting board.

Suddenly, just as Miskit was flipping the sausages, there was a rumble and the house jerked. "Uh-oh," said Miskit. The house shook again, and the stack of dishes in Theodore's hands began to sway. The little robot moved with the stack in an attempt to keep it steady, but the house continued to lurch. Finally he couldn't keep up with the motion and the dishes lost balance and flew everywhere.

* * *

Back in the cockpit, Navin was having a little trouble maintaining the house's stability. This kind of thing was new to him, and his grip on the control column was shaky, uneven. He had to sway one arm lever while simultaneously pushing down on the opposite pedal to maintain the house's center of balance as it moved forward. Beside him, Cogsley was rattling out pointers.

"The trick is to remain calm," the robot said. "Treat the house as an extension of yourself."

Navin's hands shook as he tightened his grip on the arm levers, and the house shook in response.

"Think of yourself as the brain," Cogsley explained patiently. "The body will respond to any signals you give it. And when the brain gets jumpy, the body gets jumpy. So relax. Find a rhythm you're comfortable with and stay with it."

* * *

Down in the kitchen, Navin's nervous driving was creating pandemonium. The pots and pans that hung on the overhead hooks were swinging wildly and crashed into each other with loud metallic clangs. Cabinet doors flung open and dishes poured out, some shattering on the floor. And Miskit was at the stove trying to flip a pancake. But as Navin made the house take another shaky step forward, the pancake flew out of the pan and landed on top of Miskit's head—right between the ears—and draped over her face.

* * *

Finally, Navin was starting to get the hang of driving the house. He gripped the arm levers, rested his feet on the pedals, and took a deep breath to calm himself. Then he pushed the left arm lever forward and stomped on the right pedal. The result was an evenly-balanced step forward. He repeated the motion with the opposite controls, and the house took another steady step forward. And again. And again. And again. Each time, the house took solid, steady steps forward.

Cogsley was quick to congratulate him. "Great work, Navin," he said. "Now hold her steady and keep us moving." Navin did. The house was moving smoothly now, and they were making good progress. "Excellent work," Cogsley exclaimed proudly. "You're doing great. Just maintain that rhythm and keep us moving forward."

Navin did as he was told. He pushed one arm lever forward while pressing down on the opposite pedal, and each time, the house took a step forward without trouble. Step after step after step. Cogsley was impressed.

"Nice work, kid," said the robot. "I've never had anyone learn how to drive the house so quickly. You're a natural!"

Navin smiled proudly and took the house another step forward.

* * *

With the house now moving smoothly along, the kitchen had more or less returned to normal. At least there were no more banging pots and pans or plates shattering on the floor. Just the normal rumble as the house move along. And the enormous mess that Navin's amateur driving had made, which was quickly set upon by Vac and Bottle.

Miskit stood looking at her work. The meal she'd intended to make was mostly intact, though the eggs were far from her original idea. "Well," she said with a sigh, "I hope everyone likes their eggs scrambled, courtesy of Navin up there." She picked up one of the plates and handed it to Theodore, saying, "Take this to Captain Emily, please, Theodore. And tell her we'll be arriving in Kanalis shortly."

"Yes, ma'am," the squat robot buzzed, then turned on his wheel and whirred away. He went out the door and down the hallway to the bedroom several doors down, where Emily, Navin's twin sister, sat beside her mother's bed, her shoulders slumped and back slouched in exhaustion and worry. Theodore wheeled over to the bedside table, where he put down the tray that had the plate of food and a mug of hot cocoa on it. The dishes clinked as he set the tray down. "Your breakfast, ma'am," he buzzed. "We will be arriving in Kanalis soon."

Emily took in a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. "Thank you, Theodore."

The little robot hopped once and then turned and wheeled out of the room.

But Emily didn't even try to reach for her food. Her attention was riveted on her mother, Karen, who lay deep in a coma underneath thick blankets with an oxygen mask strapped over her mouth and nose. The only sound other than the house walking along was that of the oxygen pump's quiet, constant hum and consistent hiss as it pumped oxygen into her airway and removed carbon dioxide. Emily sat there, looking at her mother, her eyes sad and her lip trembling. Unlike Navin, who was busy driving the house, Emily had no means by which to distract herself. She knew that Navin was far from unconcerned about their mother's condition, but at least he had something to do that was worth-while. But Emily had nothing to do, except watch, wait and worry. Finally, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

When she'd let out her long-held emotion, she raised her head again to look at her mother. Her eyes were still sad, but now had a spark of determination in them. She wanted to be strong. She had to be strong. Not only for herself, but for her brother, her mother, and her friends the robots, which had become just as much a part of her family as Navin and her mother. So she sniffed and wiped her eyes with a sleeve.

"Hmm," droned the robot at the cardiovascular monitor.

"What is it, Morrie?" asked Emily.

Morrie, the robot that was watching the monitor, turned toward her. He was a jumpy fellow, with wide eyes and a head that always seemed to be covered in a layer of condensed steam, the closest a robot can come to sweating. "It appears your mother's condition is worsen-ing. It seems the poison is gaining potency by drawing on her will to survive."

"What? How is that possible?" Emily demanded. Morrie shrugged. "Can't we do something to slow it down?"

Morrie's head sagged. Since he didn't have shoulders, this was his closest imitation to a show of hopelessness. "I've tried everything," he said gravely. "All the way from A to Z. But the poison is just too strong for the medicines we have. I just hope there's a doctor in Kanalis who has something that can help." He looked at Emily's mother and added, "Also, there's one other thing that's been bothering me. Since I started working in here, I've had this…strange feeling."

"Feeling?" Emily chuckled mirthlessly, but the thought of a robot having feelings struck her as just a bit amusing. Though all the robots in their house had personality, it seemed pretty hard to have personality without feelings. Cogsley was the serious, no-nonsense leadership robot. Miskit was a soft and caring spirit, whose emphasized program with the accompaniment and protection of Emily. Morrie was just jumpy, perpetually nervous. The other robots—Theodore, Bottle and Vac—were more or less neutral, with just enough brainpower to comprehend orders, perform the tasks their programming dictated, and know when it was time to recharge their power cells.

Morrie stared at her, his eyes wide and metallic skin glistening. "It's…unsettling," he replied. "Like there's someone else in the room other than the three of us." She gave him a confused look. "Don't you sense it?"

Emily shook her head. "No. No, I don't."

Morrie's head sagged further, now feeling both useless and awkward. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I shouldn't have brought this up when you've already got so much on your mind. I'm gonna go help the others prepare for our arrival. Give me a holler if you need anything." Emily nodded, and watching him as he trudged out of the room.

As soon as he was out of sight, the stone that hung on the leather string around her neck came to life. Light burst from it, and as if lifted by some unseen hand, it raised up from where it was idly sitting against her chest until it was level with her eyes. "They're coming," said the spirit inside the stone. It was hollow and whispered, a bizarre blend of both tempting power and gentle invitation.

"Who's coming?" Emily asked.

"We should have destroyed the elf prince when we had the chance," the spirit replied. "The elf king has sent him out again, but this time with help. He is desperate now and will stop at nothing to kill you."

"What? But why would they want to kill me?"

"By not joining with them, you have become their sworn enemy," the spirit explained. "You have simply become too powerful for them to leave you alone. You are no longer a nuisance to them; you are a threat. You must prepare for battle."

"Battle?" Emily asked. "What battle?" But the stone had already gone back into its dormant state, leaving Emily to her wonder and worry, with only the hissing of the oxygen pump and the steady thumping of the house as it walked along to break the otherwise dead silence. Above her mother's bed, the clock on the wall chimed twice: Two o'clock.

* * *

Up in the cockpit, Navin guided the house onward. He'd gotten comfortable with the way it worked and was more confident in his ability to drive it now, and he swung each arm lever when he pressed down on the opposite pedal with much more ease than before. Now, the house was moving along smoothly. Before long, they rounded the corner to the valley through which they had to travel to reach Kanalis.

There was a ridiculously narrow pathway that would eventually lead them to the city gates. This pathway had tall, sharp mountain spires on one side and a sheer cliff on the other. They didn't bother with conversation; Navin had to concentrate on his driving and keep the house away from the cliff. They went along for a long time without a single sign of life. Then finally, after what seemed like hours, they saw a change in the terrain.

"Wow," Cogsley said.

"Wow, what?" Navin asked.

It was a moment before the robot got over his initial surprise and replied. "Looks like they've expanded," he said, pointing to the cliff walls. "None of these houses were out here back then. I guess it's been longer than I thought since the last time I was here."

"How long ago was that?"

Cogsley was silent for a few seconds as he searched his memory banks for the last time he'd visited the great cliff side city. "About fifty years, I'd say," he said. "We're on the outskirts now. It shouldn't be long before we get there." They continued on for another half hour, then the city finally came into view. "There it is," proclaimed Cogsley. "Kanalis." He turned to Navin and said, "Keep use away from the cliff, Navin, and watch for oncoming traffic."

Navin did as he was told, easing the house away from the cliff as much as he could without blocking the other lane. There was an-other house coming toward them, headed in the opposite direction. As it passed by, Navin caught something from the corner of his eye and turned to see what it was. What he saw was something he'd never seen before. Leaning out of the second-story window on the side nearest to them was what appeared to be a raccoon in the general shape and size of a human being! So intrigued we he that, without thinking about it, his head turned so he could get a better look at it.

"Eyes on the road!" Cogsley shouted.

Navin's attention snapped back to what he was doing and he gripped the arm levers, letting out a deep breath.

Cogsley gave him a serious stare. "You have to be looking where you're going, Navin," he said firmly. "These things aren't east to find for reasonable prices anymore." As they drew nearer to the city, he picked up the radio communicator. "This is Choga Hoffa five-six-one-nine requesting permission to dock, over."

A voice with authority came back over the frequency. "Choga Hoffa five-six-one-nine, you're clear to dock at pier ten, over."

"Copy that, Control. Choga Hoffa five-six-one-nine out." He put the communicator back in its place and turned to Navin. "Take us in nice and easy, Navin. Pier ten, got it?"

"Written in stone," Navin replied. He worked the controls with calculated precision, maneuvering the house through the narrow streets.

As the house neared its designated docking point, several figures watch with deliberate interest from a dark alley. They were elves, the ones sent out to capture and kill the ones inside that house. There were eight in all: Six soldiers, Prince Trellis, and Luger, the elf king's adviser. "Should we attack them now, sir?" asked one of the guards.

"No, not yet," Luger replied. "Have someone follow them. We'll need to commandeer their house, but first we have to get them away from it. Understood?" The soldiers saluted, and Luger turned to his young companion. "Now watch closely, Trellis," he said with a smug sneer. "I'm going to show you how to earn your father's trust."

Trellis stared back at him with the slightest hint of annoyance.


	3. Chapter 2

Navin slowly guided the house up to the indicated dock. As close as they were to the walkway, precise movements were essential to dock successfully and to avoid crashing into the docking area. If that happened, it would damage the walkway and take out the pier, and maybe even some of the nearby cranes. So Navin carefully maneuvered the house up to the authorized docking point, where a mobile boarding ramp was waiting. After walking up to the end of the ramp that would allow them to leave the house, Navin and Cogsley went downstairs, where the others were already gathered by the door.

"Now," Miskit said, addressing them all, "before we go outside, I just wanted to let you know that many of the citizens here might look a little bit different."

They all eyed her curiously. "Different in what way, Miskit?" asked Emily.

Miskit reached for the knob and answered simply, "Just don't stare at them." Then she opened the door and wind rushed in as they stepped out onto the boarding ramp, where they were met by a dock officer dressed in a deep blue uniform and matching cap. He also wore a pair of small round eyeglasses. Miskit smiled. She knew what to expect and didn't see anything odd or out of place. But the others were so surprised by the officer's appearance that staring was all they could do.

"Good afternoon, my friends," the officer said kindly. "And welcome to Kanalis. Please have your passports ready and prepare for boarding and inspection." They each gave him their passports one at a time, all of which he stamped. "Thank you, everyone. Enjoy your stay."

"Well, that was…weird," Emily remarked as Miskit led them down the ramp. "Does everyone in Kanalis look like him?"

"No," Miskit replied simply. "Kanalis is a port town. So people from all walks of life come through here. It's said that everyone in Alledia finds their way here eventually."

"Let's hope that's also true with the land's best doctors," Morrie said gravely. "We're going to need a very good one."

They walked along the docks for a while until they passed through a tunnel and into the city's main square, in the center of which was a large fountain. Buildings that held businesses ringed the open area. There were diners and inns, a few shops, a bakery, a furniture store, a tavern, and even a tanner, blacksmith and carpenter. Flags hung limply from poles that stuck out of the walls, and the streets were made of stone. But the one thing that caught the most attention was that a number of the people looked like anything but. To describe it in a word, it was shocking.

"What happened to them?" Navin asked, both excited and a little startled by what he saw.

"Many of the citizens of the city are very slowly being transformed by an ancient curse," Miskit explained. "It's what gives them the appearance of animals, though how it determines which one to turn them into is a total mystery."

"What?" gasped Emily. "But that's terrible!"

"I don't believe anyone here sees it as something quite so negative," Miskit said. "The curse has affected them for so long that nobody remembers a time without it, and the newer generations simply accept it as a fact of life. A sad one, yes. But there's nothing we or they can do about it."

They continued on, and as they passed through the market, Emily asked, "Is it contagious?"

"That's a very good question," Miskit replied. "I don't believe so. But if it is, then it would only apply to biological beings. The other robots and I would be unaffected."

As they continued on, a figure garbed in dark clothes watched them from a nearby alley with attentive eyes. It was an elf assassin, one of several sent throughout Alledia by the elf king to hunt down and kill his most dangerous enemy while he sat back and waited for news from the comfort of his palace. The assassin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small communicator.

He activated the device and it began to glow. "I have them in sight, my lord," she said lowly so as not to attract attention.

"Good," replied the elf king's grave voice. "Strike swiftly and silently. The children are your priority targets."

"Yes sir."

"Don't fail me as my son has."

"No need to worry, sire," the assassin said. "They won't know what hit them." With that, he deactivated the communicator and drew his daggers.

Behind him, a fox sat against the wall beside a large wastebin, looking for all the world like another homeless victim of the curse. But in reality, he'd been listening in on the assassin's confirmation of his target and orders from the elf king. He'd kept his head down to ward off unwanted attention or curiosity. And at his side was a long-bladed sword, a claymore. As the assassin stepped out of the shadows and began to follow his targets, the fox stood, strapped his sword to his back and chased after the assassin.

The elf made his way through the crowd with blades drawn, attracting wary and frightened looks from many of those he passed. But he couldn't care just now; he had a job to do. So, ignoring the looks and stares he got from those around him, he kept after his quarry. But he was suddenly stopped when a fox appeared in his path. He wore a bounty hunter's attire: A white shirt under a simple green tunic, loose-fitting trousers, knee-high leather boots and a wide-brimmed straw hat that covered his face in shadow. He had a long-bladed sword strapped to his back, and a small pouch hanging around his neck.

At first, the assassin was so surprised that he couldn't speak. But that quickly melted into frustration as he brandished his blades and demanded, "What are you doing? Get out of my way!"

But the fox didn't budge, staying right where he'd appeared.

"Are you deaf!?" the assassin shouted angrily. "Step aside in the name of the king!"

At this, the bounty hunter fox raised his head to look at the assassin. His eyes sparkled with determination and confidence as they peered out from the shadow of his hat, and he smiled at the assassin tauntingly.

The elf's patience was running out, and his quarry was getting away. "Did you hear me?" he demanded, his voice strained with rage and frustration. "I told you to get out of my way!" And he charged at the fox.

The bounty hunter hopped and skipped from side to side as the assassin threw slash after slash at him, trying to cut him down. Each swing was inches away from his face, and he could hear the whistle of the blade as it flashed by. Then the assassin swung a particularly quick strike downward that caught the bounty hunter's left arm, cutting through both shirt and fur and drawing blood. The fox yelped as his hand flew to the injury, and he jumped back to put some distance between himself and his opponent. He gritted his teeth as the pain shot through his arm, crimson blood seeping out between his fingers and coloring the cloth. He'd be lucky if that blade hadn't been poisoned.

He looked back up toward the assassin, who was standing there and looking at him with a smug grin. "Go back to where you came from, fox," the elf said. "I don't have time for your kind."

"Then you better make the time," the bounty hunter replied. "Because I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt for the entertainment of that monster you so dutifully call a king."

At hearing this insult to his king, the elf stopped and turned around and leveled a venomous glare at the fox. "What did you just say?" he hissed.

"We all know what he is," the fox spat back. "You only serve him because he'd kill you otherwise. He can't maintain control without having a finger in every pie, and he can't stand to do the work himself, so he sends lackeys like you to do it for him." The elf recoiled at this sudden barrage of insults to his kind, and bared his teeth. "And you're not getting away with murder for his enjoyment any more."

The elf walked back over to the fox, who appeared to be growing weaker. "And why is that?" he asked, standing over the bounty hunter with a wicked grin.

"Because if I don't stop you," the fox replied, his voice broken by heaving breaths and sharp gasps, "then someone else will." The elf scoffed. The rouse was working. If the blade that cut his arm had been poisoned, he would have been immobilized by now, if not dead. Since he clearly wasn't in any danger of dying, he was making a show of losing strength to make the assassin overconfident and lower his guard. "You can't get away with this forever."

The elf rolled his eyes in a gesture of annoyance. "One way or another," he growled, "there won't be another like you. Because you won't be alive to train the next one." The fox suddenly started convulsing, and the elf smiled evilly. "And I'm going to put an end to both your pain and my annoyance." He raised his dagger.

The fox seized his chance. As the elf brought his dagger down for the killing blow, the bounty hunter rolled to one side and jumped up. Before the elf could react, the fox wound up and landed a heavy blow to the assassin's cheek, forcing his face sideways with the impact. Then he folded his leg and kicked straight out, driving his foot into the elf's gut with such force that he was sent flying into the booth of a vender that was selling fish. The elf crumpled among the baskets, unconscious. With disgust, the fox pulled off his hat and shoved it onto the elf's head. Then he looked over at the owner of the booth, a rabbit, who was looking back at him with astonished eyes. The fox put his finger to his lips in the universal way of saying to keep quite, then smiled and walked away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Miskit led Emily and the rest through the city. She held herself in such a way that gave the impression of confidence, saying she knew right where the hospital was. But after several wrong turns and dead ends the others were beginning to wonder, while Navin and Emily began to have doubts.

"Are you sure you know where you're going, Miskit?" Emily asked. "We've been wandering around for a while now and gotten nowhere helpful."

"Don't you worry, Emily," Miskit replied. "I know my way around this place." Then under her proverbial breath, she muttered, "I think." She led them down another street and around another corner, which only took them back to the square where they started.

By now, Emily's patience was wearing thin, and her worry running wild. "When was the last time you visited this place, Miskit?" she asked irritably.

"When your grandfather was still alive," the pink rabbit replied evasively.

"Too long for you to recognize anything," Emily concluded. "Let's ask someone for directions."

"No," Miskit said adamantly. "I can get us there. I just need to find something I remember."

They walked along for about another hour, during which time Miskit found one wrong turn and dead end after another. Finally, Navin and Emily's patience ran out. "Miskit," Emily demanded, "we're getting nowhere! Face it, you're lost!"

Miskit whirled on her. "I'm not either," she protested. "I just need to—"

"Ask somebody for directions," Emily finished. "Obviously there's nothing here that you recognize. It's time to get where we need to go the old-fashioned way." With that, she stomped out in front of Miskit, then stopped. She was staring at something. The others followed her gaze and saw what had caught her attention. Before them, dozens of people, many of them victims of the transformation curse, stood in a long line, all holding a bowl or a jug of some kind.

"That's definitely new," Miskit remarked. "I don't remember seeing that on my last visit."

"What are they waiting for?" asked Navin.

"Looks like they're in line for the soup kitchen," Miskit observed. "I don't remember seeing this many hungry before. I wonder why they're here."

"They're farmers," explained a voice from behind them. They all turned to see a fox approaching them. "The elves took their land and left them with nothing," he continued. "Now they're forced to beg for the very same food they used to provide."

"Are you a farmer too?" Emily asked.

"No," the fox answered simply. "I'm a bounty hunter."

In an instant, Miskit was between him and Emily. "Stay away from him, Emily," she said. "We don't meddle with his kind."

"I don't mean to cause trouble," the fox said.

"Then stay away from us," Miskit ordered.

"I can't do that."

"And why not?"

"Because you need me."

"Puh! In your dreams, brushtail!" Miskit turned and walked away, and the others started to follow.

"Then your worst nightmare is about to come true," he called after them. This made them stop and turn back toward him. "Because like it or not, you're going to need my help."

"Yeah?" Miskit asked. "What makes you say that?"

The fox's eyes rolled over the group. "You're being hunted, all of you, by the elves. But it's you they're really after, Stonekeeper," he said with a look at Emily, who stared back at him. "Everyone here, including myself, has been waiting for someone or something to come around and challenge the elf king's tyrannical rule."

"And you think that I'm the one who will challenge him?" Emily asked slowly.

"Yes. And it's also the reason I offer my services as a bodyguard in return for permission to join your quest."

"Look, pal," Miskit said, pointing a finger at him, "we're not looking to hire anybody. Especially somebody we don't know, and especially-especially if that somebody is a bounty hunter."

But the fox's attention was elsewhere. From somewhere off to the right came the frightened cry of a young child. Looking over, they saw a young mother kneeling on the ground picking up the few pieces of food she was able to afford. Both she and her child were victims of the curse, and had been transformed into the likeness of mice. And towering over them like a giant cat waiting to pounce was an elf guard, whose deep frown and tight expression suggested that he was very annoyed.

"Shut him up!" the elf ordered.

The child cried louder. "Please, sir," the mother begged. "You're scaring him!"

The guard pointed his sword at the child, who cried even louder. "If you don't shut him up," he threatened, "you're going to have one less mouth to feed!"

"No sir, don't," the mother pleaded. "Just let me get this picked up and we'll be on our way."

"Shut him up now or I'll do it for you!" the guard shouted angrily.

"Hey!" the fox called. "Leave them alone."

The guard looked over at him with angry eyes. Apparently, he didn't like having his authority challenged. "Stay outta this, twinky," the elf ordered. "This ain't none of your concern! Mind your own business!"

The fox looked up at the guard patiently and said calmly, "This is my business." With the guard stunned into silence, he turned to the child. "Hey, Alex," he said gently, "be strong. Be strong and quite for your mommy, okay?" The child—Alex—instantly closed his mouth and nodded. The bounty hunter fox looked back at the guard. "That's all there is to it," he said. "It just takes a little patience is all."

The elf growled and bared his teeth, and the next thing everybody knew, he wound up and landed an armor-fisted punch to the fox's snout, launching him backward. The fox hit ground and slid for several feet with an echoing grunt. People looked at the scene in total shock, though not at all surprised. "I told you to mind your own business," the guard snarled, then turned and walked away.

The others looked at him. "Come on, Emily, let's go," Miskit said. "We don't have much time."

Emily turned and started to follow, then looked back at the fox. "Maybe we should hire him," she said thoughtfully.

Miskit looked flabbergasted. "You must be kidding!" she exclaimed incredulously. "Look at what just happened. If he can't handle one guard, how can he possibly keep us safe?" She turned and started walking again. "Besides, what would we pay him with? Let's go."

After looking back one more time at the fox, Emily and the others followed.

The fox groaned. As experienced a fighter as he was, the blow he'd received had left him rattled and in pain. He clenched his teeth and slowly propped himself onto his elbows. The side of his face hurt, and the pain sharply increased when he impulsively put his hand over it to sooth and protect it.

The mouse helped him up. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'll be fine," the fox replied, wincing. "Don't worry about me."

"I wish those terrible elves would just go away and leave us in peace," the mouse said.

The fox looked at her. "Now don't you worry, Mrs. Wade," he said reassuringly. "This will all end soon." He looked back at the others, who were walking away, Mrs. Wade following his gaze. "I think help has finally arrived."

Miskit led the group down some more streets and around more corners, all of them either leading to a dead end or back to where they started. Finally, as Navin and Emily's frustration was beginning to override their patience, Miskit turned down another street and walked toward a building that was obviously some sort of clinic. "Here we are," she declared proudly. "Told you we'd make it."

Navin and Emily didn't even wait to be led inside. They rushed ahead and up the front steps with the others close behind. One of the nurses—also a victim of the curse—happened to be passing by and jumped when the door suddenly flew open. Upon seeing the two youngsters, her surprised expression turned to one of gentle friendliness and she smiled. "Welcome, dearies!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "And how might I help you?"

"You can help us by taking us to the doctor pronto," Emily said.

The nurse's friendly expression fell from her face as she recognized the urgent tone in Emily's voice. "Of course," she said. "Follow me please."

In one of the clinic's several examination rooms, the doctor—another victim—was looking over another patient with a magnifying glass. "Hm," he said, his voice grave, "I'm afraid you're right." He lowered his magnifying glass and stepped back, adding, "You're turning into a slug."

"Is there anything you can do, doctor?" the patient asked, more than a little apprehensively.

"I'm afraid I can't do much, but I may have something. Here, take these." He dropped a few small seed-like pills into the patient's hand. "They won't stop the transformation," he said, "but they may slow the process."

The patient slid off the table and shook the doctor's hand. "Thanks for trying anyway, doctor," he replied, and turned around to go.

"Also," the doctor called as he walked away, "be sure to stay away from salt."

"I will," the patient called back. "And thanks again, doc. I'll let you know how it turns out." As he walked out, the nurse that had met Navin and Emily's group at the door passed him. One of his stalk eyes turned to Navin and blinked once, and Navin's own eyes shot open in surprise and stared back.

"There is another patient to see you, Doctor," the nurse said. "From what I understand, the need is quite urgent."

"Thank you, Natalie," the doctor replied. "Bring them in." The nurse nodded and stepped aside to allow Emily and her group to enter the room. "Hello there, young miss," he said kindly, offering his hand. "I'm Doctor Weston Andrews."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Andrews," Emily replied as she took his hand. "I'm Emily, and this is my brother, Navin, and family."

"Indeed?" Doctor Andrews asked, eyeing Miskit curiously. "Of all the people turned into some creature by this wretched curse, I've never seen a pink rabbit before."

"That's because I'm not a curse victim, or even biological," Miskit replied.

"Ah, a robot, then," Doctor Andrews observed. "And very lifelike. How ingenious."

"Yes, this is all very interesting," Emily said impatiently, "but could we please get back to the subject at hand?"

"Of course, my apologies," the good doctor said, looking at the woman in the tall robot's arms. "Is she the patient?"

"Yes," Navin replied. "Our mother."

"Okay then. Bring her to bed and let's have a look at her." Bottle did, and laid her down on the bed. Doctor Andrews wrapped a hand around her wrist. "Hm," he said thoughtfully. "It seems that she's been poisoned."

"She was," Morrie confirmed. "An arachnopod stung her."

The doctor looked at him. "An arachnopod you say?" Morrie nodded. "Her pulse is quite weak. How long ago was she stung?"

"About a month," Navin supplied.

Doctor Andrews looked completely shocked. "A month?" he asked. "Are you sure?" Navin nodded. The doctor let out a deep breath. "Arachnopod venom is extremely potent. All the other cases I've seen involving them have resulted in the victim's death just hours after being stung. Your mother must have an extraordinarily strong will to survive. She'd have died long before now if she didn't."

"We already know all that, Doctor," Emily said. "Can you help her?"

Doctor Andrews didn't answer right away. When he finally replied, it was with a heavy, sad sigh. "I'm afraid the only thing that can help her now is the fruit of the gadoba tree."

"Do you know where we can find one?" Emily asked, all business.

"The last remaining trees are at the peak of Demon's Head Mountain," the doctor explained. "But even the elves don't go there. Many have tried, either by their own volition or sent by the elf king. He would regularly send his men on expeditions to collect these fruits. And of the hundreds sent, none have returned." He looked at Emily and directly met her eyes. "But you're still so young. I can't let you go there in good conscience. It's far too dangerous."

Morrie started to sweat again. "Hey, guys," he said, "I don't think this sounds like such a good idea."

Emily looked at him with hard, determined eyes. "I'm only here for one reason," she said, "and that's to make sure that my family gets home safely."

"Is that really the only reason?" asked a voice. They all turned to see the fox they had met earlier in the marketplace, sitting in the window. "Or," he added, "did Silas forget to tell you about your inheritance, Stonekeeper?"

"You're not a bounty hunter," Emily observed.

"Of course I am," the fox replied. "I just don't bother with going after enemies of the elf king."

"Excuse me?" Emily demanded. "Who are you to say that I'm anybody's enemy?"

"My name is Leon Redbeard," the fox replied with a small smile. He leapt down from the window and landed with hardly a sound. "And I say you're an enemy of the elf king because it's the truth."

"And just how would you know that?" asked Miskit.

"I hear things," Leon replied simply. "The elf king has increased patrols in all the cities and along all the major trade routes. He's posted guards at every access point. There's a price on all your heads, especially yours, Stonekeeper."

"Thanks for the information," Emily said tersely. "Now would you please explain yourself?"

Leon's face became serious. "I may be a bounty hunter, but I'm not looking for payment of any kind. I've come to offer my services and ask only that you allow me to travel with you and fight beside you."

"My master left me with duty of protecting Emily from people like you," Miskit said.

"People like me?" Leon repeated, his face dark. "Do you have any idea what you're up against?"

Miskit started to reply when the communicator in the leather bag on Morrie's hip suddenly went off. The robot took it out and said, "Hello?"

"Morrie!" Cogsley's voice barked. "Is Emily or Navin there?"

Morrie handed the communicator to Emily, who asked, "What's up, Cogsley?"

* * *

Back in the house, Cogsley was looking out the front window, his face about as tense as a robot's face can be. Theodore was right beside him. "Hey, Em, we've got a problem, here," he said.

"What's wrong?"

"There's a bunch of elves headed our way," he replied. "Looks like they're gonna storm the house." He looked at the robot beside him and said, "Theodore, tell everyone to get ready."

"Get ready?" Emily asked. "Cogsley, what's going on?"

The elves mounted the mobile boarding ramp and went up to the front door. The first one there kicked it open with his immense strength. The robots by then had retreated deeper into the house.

"Is everyone here?" Cogsley called officiously. He looked around and saw that all the robots from around the house had congregated where he'd told them to go. Among them were Vac, Toasty, Wishy-Washy, Tee-Pee, Radiola and Theodore. Satisfied that all the robots in the house were present, he spoke into the communicator. "I'm going to do a complete shutdown so the elves can't get any information," he said. "But that means we'll be totally out of commission until you get back, understand? It'll be up to you to turn us back on."

On the other end of the line, Emily had a look of serious determination, Navin appeared to be a bit confused, Miskit looked shocked, and Morrie looked about as worried as a robot can be. "Cogsley," Emily said, "you don't have to do that. Go down to the garage and just go offline. They'll think you're some maintenance bots."

"No go, Emily," Cogsley said quickly. "If we do that, they might turn us back on. We can't risk it. This is the only way we can keep you safe." He looked at the other robots. "Are you all ready?" They all nodded. Or hopped or chirped or did something that indicated they were prepared. "Here we go." He held up a small device that looked like the detonator for a remotely-controlled bomb. But it was actually the initiator to manually shut down the robots by sending an electromagnetic pulse through the house, knocking out everything electrical but leaving organic tissue unaffected. Within seconds, the elf guards that had bashed their way into the house entered the room where all the robots had gathered, but found only smoking, sparking heaps of metal.

* * *

"Cogsley?" Emily barked. "Cogsley, respond. Cogsley!"

"It's no use," Miskit said. "They're all offline. We'll have to turn them back on manually."

"Look," Leon interrupted. "I know you don't really like or trust me, but whether you like it or not, you're going to need my help." He turned to the doctor. "Is there an underground exit here?"

Doctor Andrews looked perplexed. "Yes," he replied slowly. "We have an emergency rail system that runs through the abandoned mine shafts beneath the city to a safehouse. Why?"

"We're going to need it," Leon replied simply. "Get all your patients and staff down there now."

"Everyone?"

"That's what I just said, isn't it?"

"But why?"

"Yeah," Miskit added. "Why are we taking everyone in the clinic with us?"

Leon strode over to the window and said gravely, "Because the elves have tracked you down."

Outside, three elf guards were wheeling up a large three-barreled, rotary weapon. They moved it into position and aimed it at the clinic. Luger and Prince Trellis were behind them. "Prepare the cannon," Luger ordered.

Trellis was shocked. "What about the patients?" he asked. "They have no part in this."

Luger glared at him from the corner of his eye. "Sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the greater good." He looked back at the clinic. "Load the barrel and fire."

The guards followed his order. One loaded the barrel, and another aligned the barrel with the firing mechanism, the cord to which was held by the third guard. Once the round was loaded and the barrel positioned, he wound the cord twice around his hand and pulled hard. An instant later, the streets resounded with the echo of the blast as dust was kicked up by the concussion and a section of the clinic's wall disappeared, the shell reducing it to rubble.

A nurse screamed as she ran and carried a wailing baby from its bed right where the wall exploded, showering them both with bits of stone and glass. The shockwave was felt throughout the building.

"What was that?" the doctor asked.

"The elves," Leon replied, all business. "We have to leave now."

The doctor ran to the exit that led to the underground escape rail line. "Everyone this way!" he shouted. His patients didn't have to be told twice. One explosion was all the convincing they needed. "Be careful! Watch your step!"

"Come on, people! Go, go, go!" Leon hollered, rushing down the stairs with the agility of a fox. "Hurry up! Get aboard! Go!" Then he saw Emily rapidly approaching, and stopped her. "Not you, Stonekeeper," he said. She looked at him in total bewilderment. "You need to come with me."

"What?" Navin cried. "No! I'm staying with Emily!"

"I'm sorry," Leon said, "but this is a job that only I and the Stonekeeper can do. It's too dangerous for anyone else."

"No!" Navin yelled. "Emily, talk to him. Tell him we shouldn't be split up!"

Emily's expression was a mixture of worry, reluctance and resolve as she told her brother, "Navin, you have to stay with Mom."

Navin made to jump out and join her, but Doctor Andrews and Morrie held him back. "For goodness' sake, son, listen to her," the doctor pleaded. "She's right!"

"I can handle it!" Navin shouted.

Just then, the elves' cannon fired again and blew another section of wall into oblivion. The shockwave shook the ceiling of the cave where the railcars were, and boulders came loose. "Look out!" Leon leapt at Emily and tackled her, forcing her backward as a boulder fell and crushed the spot they had just vacated. Several smaller boulders fell all around them, all big enough to crush them and possibly damage the cars beyond repair. "Start that engine and get out of here!" he ordered the driver.

"Yes sir," the driver answered, pushing up the lever to fire up the engine and get the cars moving.

"No! Em!" Navin cried, desperately trying to break free.

"Navin, please," the doctor begged. "Listen to your sister!"

Navin reached out for her. "Emily!"

"Take good care of Mom," she called as the cars pulled away.

Navin looked at her as she grew smaller. "Em…"

"Trust me, Navin," Morrie said. "You don't want to go where they're going."

"I hope they get through safely," Emily said softly.

"They will," Leon assured her. "These tunnels may be old but they're sturdy. They'll make it. It's you and me I'm worried about."

"I'm coming too," said an unmistakable voice.


	4. Chapter 3

Leon turned to see Miskit standing before him. "Are you crazy!?" he demanded. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Destroyed, actually," the pink rabbit corrected. "Technically, I'm not alive. Besides that, I have a very specific duty to perform, and that's to keep Emily safe."

The fox scoffed. "You? Keep her safe?" he asked incredulously. "I admire your courage, but you look like you'd be better at being an animal's chew toy than protecting her from harm!"

"Look who's talking. Listen, mister," Miskit said, poking a finger in Leon's face, "my master built me to protect and guide Emily, so don't think you can get rid of me so easily."

Leon was about to argue further when a third explosion rocked the building above and more rocks fell. "Run!" he yelled, and led them into the old storm drainage system. The water was about ankle-deep and far from pleasant. It was full of garbage and reeked of every-thing that people leave to be washed away. He led them down several tunnels, and unlike when Miskit led them through the streets, Leon never once found a dead end or a turnaround. "This way," he said, running over to a ladder. He started to climb. "Follow me."

"Right behind you," Emily replied. They followed him up the ladder until they came to an iron lid that covered a manhole, where they stopped while Leon peeked out and checked the street above.

"The coast is clear," he said, and climbed out. When he'd pulled himself clear of the manhole, he turned around and helped Emily out, though Miskit said she didn't need any help and pulled herself out. Leon didn't answer. They found themselves in one of the many alleys of the city. Pipes crisscrossed the space above them, and dumpsters of every shape and sort sat against the walls, all overflowing with trash. The smell was a horrific mixture of everything that the people didn't want to keep around, including bodily waste. The stench made Emily gag, and though Leon wore a small pouch of spices over his snout, she could tell the odor bothered him as well. The only one unaffected by the suffocating stench was Miskit.

Leon peeked around a corner, and the others followed his gaze. They saw three elf guards interrogating a frightened and confused citizen. "The elves have taken over the streets," Leon observed.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, fox man," Miskit grumbled.

"Miskit, give him a break," Emily said softly. Then to Leon, she asked, "So what do we do now?"

Leon withdrew behind the corner and looked up toward the roofs. "We take the high road," he replied. "Follow me." He ran towards the wall, jumped and landed square on both feet, then quickly leapt to the far side. Emily and Miskit watched in astonishment as he jumped nimbly back and forth several times until he reached the roof. From there, he looked down and called, "What are you waiting for?"

"Are you kidding?" Miskit called back. "We can't do that!"

Leon let out an exasperated sigh. "You can't, but she can," he said. "This is precisely why you shouldn't have come along."

"But I don't even know how!" Emily said.

"She doesn't know how!" Miskit repeated.

"Yes she does," Leon replied. "Now stop fooling around and get up here!"

"Don't let him bully you," Miskit said to Emily, who responded by turning her back to the pink rabbit. "What are you doing?"

"Get on my back," the girl replied. Miskit started to argue, but she cut her off. "Miskit, please, there's no time. Get on my back!"

Miskit wanted to argue the idiocy of whatever Emily might be considering, but soon realized it was hopeless and instead asked, "Are you sure about this Emily?"

Emily's answer was to will the stone around her neck to life. The stone activated, and as if reading her mind, surrounded them with its energy and lifted them toward the roof where Leon stood waiting for them.

The fox stepped back as they cleared the edge of the roof. "Bravo," he cheered, clapping and smiling. "Excellent work, Stonekeeper. Now try to keep up with me." He turned and ran toward the far side, then leapt over to the roof adjacent to them.

As the stone's energy surrounded them again, Miskit whined, "He's got to be joking."

* * *

Back at the clinic, Luger and Prince Trellis walked through the hole that had been freshly blasted in the wall. Their soldiers were in front of them. As the dust settled, they could be seen on their hands and knees searching through the debris for clues as to their quarry's whereabouts. "There's no sign that they were ever here, sir," one soldier reported.

"Then you're not looking hard enough," Luger growled.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" Trellis asked. "We assaulted a building full of innocent civilians to get at some people that we don't even know were ever here?"

"Patience," Luger said, looking at the prince from the corner of his eye. "Our search has only begun. We're just getting warmed up." At that moment, he communicator beeped. "What is it, Captain?"

"Sir, we've found them," said the Captain's voice. "They've taken to the rooftops."

"Good work," replied Luger. "Get after them."

Out in one of the alleys, the Captain and his men watched as their quarry sailed across the gap between the buildings above them. "Good work," Luger's voice said. "Get after them. Destroy them however you see fit. Be creative."

The Captain's smile was full of sharp teeth as he replied, "With pleasure." He replaced his communicator and signaled his men to follow him. He took the same route to the roofs as Leon had, jumping back and forth off the walls. Then he peeked over the edge.

Miskit happened to look back right at the moment and saw the top of the elf's bald head peep over. "Look out," she warned. "We've got company!"

"Don't look back," Leon ordered. "Just keep moving and don't stop!" He leapt onto the side of a water tank and jumped back at the elves. Timing his movements, he twisted his body and landed a mean kick to one the nearest elf's jaw. Then he wound up and kicked straight out, forcing his foot into the middle of the second elf's face. No sooner had he been taken out than a third elf showed up, sword drawn and hissing.

"Leon!" Emily cried.

"I'll be fine! Just keep going!" Leon ordered, looking back toward his opponent just in time to skip away from a sideways slash. In the same movement he reached back and drew out his own sword, which he then swung into the elf's blade with all his might. There was a loud metallic clang, and the elf leapt back a few feet. He glanced down at his weapon and saw that Leon's attack had made a small but deep cut into the blade. In a rage, he brought it down at Leon again and again, and the fox parried each blow with expert ease.

With Leon distracted, one of the elves assigned to hunt down and kill Emily had gotten past and leapt over to the next rooftop and charged at Emily, a sword in each hand.

"Emily," Miskit cried, "look out!"

Emily saw him coming, and willed the stone to power up. It took a few seconds to get the stone charged with energy, during which time the elf got closer. The elf had been getting ready to make a downward slash and remove Emily from the elf king's worry list right when the stone discharged a bean of high-powered energy, launching him away from his target, back over the rooftops he'd just crossed, and into the middle of the neighborhood marketplace.

Leon and the elf continued to duel. They were so close together that they could feel each other's breath. "Leon needs my help," Emily said.

"But he told us to keep going," Miskit reminded her. "Besides, he can handle himself."

"But it's two against one," the girl pointed out. "He can't take on both at once. Look!"

One of the elves over where Leon was leapt up and attempted to take him from behind. The fox sensed this and forced the elf he was currently facing back with a heavy blow, then turned and shoved his foot into his would-be assassin's gut. The elf grunted as the wind was forced from his body.

Emily and Miskit looked on in amazement as the elf fell away, doubled over and gasping. "You were saying?" Miskit said.

Just then, the first elf Leon had been dueling swung his sword upward. Leon felt the rush of wind as the blade missed his face by half an inch, then the sharp sting of pain as it clipped off a piece of his ear. He yelped and fell backward. The elf seized his chance and drove his blade at Leon like a spear, but the fox caught it in his rubberized grips, the tip just off his nose.

"I still need to help him," Emily replied. "I can use the stone to—"

"But what if you can't control it?" Miskit asked. "What if you hit Leon by accident?"

"I won't let him die!"

"But Emily, there are other ways—"

"I can do this!" the girl hissed, glaring at the pink rabbit from the corner of her eye.

Miskit deflated. "Okay," she relented. "But please, just be careful!"

Emily began to concentrate on preparing the energy within the stone for one attack on Leon's assaulter. Light and energy swirled around her and collected on the surface of the stone, growing brighter and gaining intensity. Her eyes began to take on a reddish glow as she tapped into the spirit force inside the stone. The energy made her cape and hair flap wildly even though there was no wind. Soon, a shell of energy encased them both.

"Uh, Emily?" Miskit cried, more than a little worried.

Just then, the elf who was trying to slice Leon into bird food looked over with a perplexed, "Huh?"

Leon also looked over to see what had caught his attention, and immediately realized what was happening. With a burst of strength, he lashed out and kicked the elf away from him just as the energy from the stone was unleashed. The elf never stood a chance. He was caught right in the middle of the beam and let out a piercing shriek as the energy hit his body and burned his flesh. Within seconds, it was all over, and he fell to the roof in a crumpled, smoking heap. Leon and Miskit looked on in wide-eyed amazement. The last two elves had also seen what happened, and turned tail and ran for their lives, screaming like girls.

Meanwhile, Emily was beginning to have trouble controlling the spirit inside the stone. "It's so easy, isn't it?" asked a voice only she could hear. "So easy to have this much power. And you're the one who gets to wield it."

Emily was tempted for a split second to let the power of the stone to take her over, but then remembered that if she did, it would ultimately lead to her own demise. True, I've been given a great privilege, she answered. But I won't let you use me.

"Won't you stop fighting?" the voice asked. "Must you be so stubborn?"

Leave me alone, Emily demanded.

"Just think," the voice went on temptingly. "You and me, together. We'd be unstoppable. We could rule this land."

No! Emily screamed. Go away!

"All you have to do is let go and let me take care of things. Imagine it. No worry, no cares—"

Get…out…of my…head! Emily ordered.

"Very well," the voice agreed, and left her mind.

As the spirit's presence left her conscience, Emily suddenly became very unsteady and started swaying like a drunk. Then she fell down.

"Emily!" Miskit and Leon called at the same time.

"Emily, get up," Miskit begged, shaking her young friend.

But Emily was far from incapacitated, and she could still feel the spirit of the stone teasing the fringes of her mind. As soon as she realized this, she shot upright, grabbed the cord on which it hung, and tried to yank it off, shouting, "Get it off of me!" But despite her efforts, the cold held strong. "Why can't I get this stupid thing off!?" she demanded.

"Because it's your curse," Leon explained softly. The girl looked at him. "I'm sorry it has come down to you, Emily," he continued, "but it's your chosen path."

"Excuse me?" Emily demanded incredulously. "I didn't choose this, Leon. I never asked for this. It was chosen for me!"

"Because it's your destiny," Leon replied. Emily looked at him, desperate to hear something else. "There's not a whole lot I can do to help you, Emily." She looked to be in shock. "You have yet to understand the extent of the power you possess, and that is one thing I can help with, if you'll let me. Once you gain that understanding, and learn to control the power you've been given, you will turn this curse into a blessing that you can't even begin to imagine. A blessing for both you and Alledia."

"But how, Leon?" Emily begged. "How can I control this? It's too powerful. It's like it had a will of its own."

"That's because it does," Leon explained simply. "I'll show you how to control it." He reached out and took her hand and helped her up. "I've spent my whole life preparing for this time." Seeing her confusion, he continued, "When I was young, the elders told me that I would meet you."

"The elders?" Emily asked. "Who are they?"

"The leaders of the resistance," Leon explained. "They have foretold everything that has transpired here. I only hope they're right about you too."

"Whoa, hold up a second," Emily said. "You said the elders foretold that we would meet. But how could they have possibly known about me?"

"They didn't," Leon replied. "Not about you, specifically. They only said that a Stonekeeper with great courage and a selfless heart would someday arrive to help cleanse Alledia from the shadow of the elves. I'm now certain that the one they spoke of was you."

"Ah," Emily said, trying to take it all in. "And where are these elders?"

"Near the south side of the city, in the old mining tunnels. Your brother will meet them soon."

At hearing her brother's name, Emily suddenly became worried. "Navin!" she blurted. "Will he and Mom be okay?"

Leon put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "No need to worry," he said. "They're in the best company available."

They continued on their way over the rooftops, past top-floor windows and billowing chimneys, in the other direction and toward the enormous, imposing mound that was their destination: Demon's Head Mountain.


	5. Chapter 4

Navin sat in the railcar, brooding over his situation. He'd wanted to go with his sister, but she, along with Doctor Andrews and Morrie the robot, had told him to stay with their mother. It wasn't the fact that he'd been held back from joining Emily that bothered him. Nor was it that she'd told him to stay behind. What really bothered him was that he knew she was right, and now he felt guilty for wanting to go with her. It was a selfish desire, but hardly unjustifiable. Anyone would rather go on a potentially exciting adventure than stay stuck somewhere they know next to nothing about with people they hardly know. But he knew that, by giving in to her wish, he was doing the right thing.

Suddenly, he felt himself being tilted forward. The railcar was nearing its destination now, wherever that was, and was decelerating. Righting his center of balance, he hopped to his feet and instantly felt the tightness in his legs. He'd been so busy brooding over his situation that he hadn't even realized that he'd been sitting folded up in the back of the railcar he was riding in, and now they were cramping up, in particular around the knees. So he made his legs as straight as he could, then relaxed them, and sighed with relief as the joints cracked.

Then the kindly doctor walked up. "We're almost there," he announced.

"Almost where?" Navin asked.

"To where the rail line ends," Doctor Andrews replied. "We'll be arriving at the resistance headquarters."

"The resistance? Who are they?"

Before the good doctor could answer, the railcar came to a complete stop and the door opened. It slid upward, revealing a throng of frightened and confused people, many of them victims of the curse. The doctor jumped out, and Navin quickly followed to avoid losing him in the crowd. Among the people, standing out like an enormous beacon, was a tall and strongly-built bull. He followed his friend until he stopped.

"Balan!" Doctor Andrews called out.

The big bull turned toward him. "Doc!" he cried. He looked around. "Where's Leon?"

The doctor hesitated before answered. "He's on his way to…to Demon's Head Mountain."

Balan's face became crossed with an expression that was hard for Navin to read. It seemed to be a strange mix of shock, worry and fear. "Demon's Head?" Balan asked, clearly stunned.

"Yes."

"Why would he go there?"

"He's found the new Stonekeeper, Balan," the doctor replied. Balan's jaw dropped. "He's found the fifth member of the council."

Balan blinked and shook his head. "After all these years of searching," he said quietly, "he's finally found him." He looked at Navin, put a hand to his chest, and bowed. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Stonekeeper."

"Oh, this isn't the Stonekeeper, Balan," Doctor Andrews replied. "This time, the Stonekeeper is a young woman. She's the one who's with Leon." He indicated the others behind him. "And this is her family."

"Pleased to meet you, sir," the boy said, holding out his hand, which Balan took. "I'm Navin. The Stonekeeper is my sister, Emily."

"They're Silas's descendants," the doctor continued.

"He was my great-grandfather," Navin clarified. "On my mother's side."

"Then it's just as the elders have said for so long," Balan said.

"Yes, I know," Doctor Andrews replied. "It's begun."

"I hate to break up the whole reunion and all," Navin interrupted, "but we need to get my mom to a safe place."

"Of course, right away," Balan said. "Please follow me." He led them all up a nearby stairway that then led into another tunnel. Illumination was provided by round lights on the tunnel roof, though what powered them Navin didn't know. Nor did he really care. They worked, and that was all he needed to know.

"Where are we?" the boy asked.

"This will take up to our underground headquarters, deep below the city," Balan explained. "Here, our secrets are safe." They went along for some time before another curse victim, one who had been turned into a mouse, appeared beside them. Balan beckoned him over. "Milton!" he called. The mouse hurried over. "Show this gentleman where to take the patient please."

"Yes, Balan," the mouse named Milton replied, then looked at the robot that was nearly as tall as the bull. "Right this way."

As Milton led Bottle toward the infirmary, Navin remarked, "You said this place was your headquarters. So far I'm not seeing much of anything. What are you headquartering?"

"That I must show you," Balan replied. He reached for a knob on the door in front of them. "Welcome to the Resistance." Navin stared around in wonder. There was a wolf dressed in a pilot's uniform. A snake wearing a shirt and vest with leather gloves and a sword on his back. A monkey garbed in ninja black. A mule who wore a simple tunic covered with sawdust. An octopus sitting at a checkered table, playing a game of chess with a rat. A strange creature the like of which he'd never seen, with eight eyes on the front of its head. There was also a normal human.

"We've searched the world over for those willing to aid us in our fight against the elves," Balan explained. "They are Alledia's last best hope."

All in the room turned to look at Navin. "Look!" gasped the octopus.

"It's him!" said the wolf. "The one who will save us!"

Suddenly, a funny-looking creature skittered forward, excitedly repeating, "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Navin jumped back in surprise. The creature scurried toward him on six legs. It had four large, forward-facing eyes, two pointed ears and a tail that whipped back and forth. "It's an incredible honor to finally meet you, sir!" the creature said.

"We're ready for your orders, Commander," added the wolf.

"Sir? Commander?" Navin was lost. "Why are they calling me that? I'm only thirteen!"

"You'll find out soon enough," Balan said. "Come. There's someone who's been wanting to meet you." He led Navin out of the room, with Morrie trailing close behind.

"Who's been wanting to meet me?" Navin asked, now very confused. "Why would they want to meet me?"

"An old friend of your great-grandfather's," explained Balan. "He's also one of the first members of the resistance. His name is Father Alder."

"Well, that answers who it is," Navin said, "but I'm still lost as to why he wants to meet me. Is he a priest?"

"Not exactly." They rounded a corner and saw an old tree with bare branches. In the middle of the trunk was a tired face.

Navin looked at Balan. "It's a tree," he said dryly. "You're saying that a tree has been wanting to see me?"

"Not just any tree," Balan replied. "This is Father Alder. It has been a long time since his branches bore fruit. He's among the last remaining gadoba trees. He was planted here many generations ago; the rest are at the summit of Demon's Head Mountain, where your sister and Leon are going. It was he who foretold your arrival." He then looked at the tree and declared, "Father Alder! It is I, Balan. And I have brought the Stonekeeper's brother."

The old tree's face started to move, and Navin gaped as its eyes opened to reveal glowing slits. "Oh," Father Alder said sleepily. "At last you've come."

Navin felt a twinge of guilt. "Forgive me, sir. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Father Alder smiled. "It's quite all right, young man," he assured him. "I've been waiting to meet you for quite some time." A large toadstool spread out its top. "Please, sit down." Navin obliged and took the offered seat. "Do you know why you're here?"

"To save my mother's life," Navin replied. "That was why we came to Kanalis."

Father Alder closed his eyes reflectively. "Hm, was the reason, you say?"

"Yes, sir," confirmed Navin. "My mother was poisoned by an arachnopod, and we came here hoping to find a doctor who could help her."

"I see," the old tree said. "I suppose I would have been that doctor, if I had the medicine to give. But saving your mother is not the only reason you're here."

"How's that?" Navin asked. "I didn't even know about the Resistance until our train ride ended and I met Balan."

"That is beside the point," Father Alder said. "You are destined to do great things, Navin."

"If that's so," Navin said skeptically, "then maybe you can tell me just what I'm destined for."

"If I did that," the tree chuckled, "what motivation would you have, one way or the other?" Navin fell silent. "I've been around for so long and seen so many things. When you've been around as long as I have, you begin to see patterns in the lives of those around you. When I look into the future, I'm looking into these patterns." After a short pause, he added, "You creatures are not as complicated as you make your-selves out to be."

Navin thought about this, then said, "In that case, could you please tell me if my sister will be okay?"

Father Alder didn't answer right away. When he did, it was soft with carefully-chosen words. "If there is only bad news to tell," he said, "do you still wish to hear it? It may be easier to simply hope for the best."

"No sir, please," Navin begged. "I have to know. Will she be okay?"

The old tree closed his eyes and was silent for a moment. "I see your sister arriving at the summit of the mountain," he began. "There, she will meet my brothers and attempt to pick some of the fruit that will heal your mother. The images that follow are much more obscure. But one is crystal clear." He paused for a brief moment, the tension almost tangible. "It is the image of your sister falling off a cliff. She is un-conscious, and death awaits her below."

Navin was so shocked that all he could squeak out was, "No." Then he turned to his robot companion and said, "Morrie, we've got to leave now!" He jumped up and took off with Morrie hot on his heels.

"Wait!" Balan cried. "You need to hear of your future!"

Father Alder sighed. "Let him go, Balan. He's heard enough."

Navin rushed headlong through the tunnels with Morrie right beside him. "Navin, why are we running?" Morrie asked.

Navin answered the question with a question. "How long until Cogsley's memory is wiped out?"

"About five hours!"

"Then we're not going to stop until we get back to the house!"

"But sir!" Morrie shouted. "The house in under armed guard by the elves! How will we get past them?"

"You probably don't want to hear this," Navin said, "but I have no idea!" His prediction was correct. Morrie blew a circuit. They ran all the way back to the gathering hall. "Bottle! Doctor Andrews!" Navin called. "We have to leave now!"

"Why, what's the rush?" asked the doctor.

"We have to take back the house," Navin answered quickly.

"Take it back?" Andrews was clearly confused. "What happened?"

"My sister's in trouble," Navin explained simply. "And we need the house to save her."

"Where is it?"

"At the tenth pier, under armed guard."

"Armed guard? Navin, we can't possibly—"

"We can and we will. We have to; there's no choice!"

"But Navin, look at us! We're in no condition to fight trained soldiers of the elf army!"

"He's right, Master Navin," Morrie interjected. "We won't stand a chance. We're not fighters."

"But we are." Navin and Morrie looked over to see the resistance fighters in front of them. "Pardon the interruption, sir," the octopus said, "but it sounds like you could use some help."

"Oh, thank heaven," sighed an approaching voice. "I was afraid you'd already left sir."

"Balan," Navin said. "Not you too! Why is everybody calling me 'sir'?"

"Because you are this army's commander," Balan told him.

"C-commander?" Navin stuttered. "But why? I'm only thirteen! I've got no military background, no training, no combat skills! How can I possibly lead an army?"

"Because you're brave, smart and resourceful," replied Balan. "Which makes you perfect to command this army."

"We've been waiting for a chance to throw something back at the elves," the wolf said. "Just say the word and it's done."

The snake slithered forward, popping his knuckles. "What are your orders, sir?"

* * *

Meanwhile, all the elves sent by Luger to trap and kill Emily returned to their leader. All but two were injured in some way. One was smoking from the energy blast he'd received from the stone; another's head was wrapped in a bandage; the rest were battered and bruised or moaning in pain from broken bones. Luger looked around at them with disdain. "What happened?" he demanded, as if the condition they'd returned in wasn't obvious. "Your task was simple: Kill the girl. How hard can it possibly be for trained warriors to take out a child?" None of the men moved or spoke, hoping to somehow avert his wrath by remaining silent. "You are some of my best men. You're lucky I'm more forgiving than the king. At least I tolerate failure and cowardice."

"You've underestimated her, Luger," Trellis said. "She is a Stonekeeper, after all."

"Stonekeeper or not," Luger growled, "there's no way a girl could possibly knock out so many and cause the rest to flee. She must have the help of a powerful ally."

"She's stronger than you think," Trellis added. "Stonekeepers are known for their power."

"Tell me something I don't know," Luger spat as he fished his communicator from his pocket. The small device began to glow, and seconds later, the image of the elf king's masked face appeared before them, hovering in midair. "My lord," Luger reported, "the young Stonekeeper has escaped, and she has the help of a formidable warrior."

"Your mission remains clear, Luger," the elf king replied, his voice calm but tight. "Track them down and kill them both."

"As you wish, my lord."

"I thought our job was to capture her," Trellis pointed out. "Not kill her."

Glaring at the young man from the corner of his eye, Luger hissed, "Mercy is for the weak, boy."

"If she will not join us," the elf king continued, "then our only option is to kill her. She is far too dangerous to be left alive. Luger, when you have found and cornered her, I want Trellis to be the one to deliver the final blow. By killing her, he will prove his loyalty. Should he fail, and I expect he will, you have my permission to kill him as well. Understood?"

A sinister smile tugged at the edge of Luger's mouth. "Yes, my lord."

Though they couldn't see his face, Luger and Trellis knew the elf king was glaring at them. "Do not fail me again." With that, his image faded and swirled as the smoky magic it was encased in returned to the communicator. There was a tense moment of silence as the last of the smoke disappeared.

Finally, Trellis asked, "You would really kill me, Luger?"

The older elf looked at him with danger in his eyes. "I do as I'm told," he replied. "Something I suggest you start doing." He glanced down at the ground and spied a small tuft of fur wedged between two of the innumerable stones that made up the street. He bent down and pulled it out, studying it closely. Then he sniffed it, his keen elf senses instantly recognizing the scent. "A fox," he muttered to himself.

Just then, one of the city guard came running up to him. "Sir! My men have reported seeing the Stonekeeper and two others headed toward Demon's Head Mountain."

Luger looked at him. "Lieutenant," he ordered, "bring me the crawler hounds." Looking toward the enormous bulk of the mountain rising above the rooftops, he added, "It's time to finish this hunt."


	6. Chapter 5

Far to the east, the sun filtered down through the thick canopy of the forest that covered the base of Demon's Head Mountain. Trees that seemed to be made of twisted vines reached up toward the sky, tangling their branches where they grew too close together. Strange mushrooms of every color but the same shape grew everywhere, with small spots covering their tops that spread like umbrellas on the ends of tall, slender stems. Insects flitted about in swarms over small streams, their iridescent wings flashing with color as they passed through shafts of light. Birds flew overhead, crying out with their various calls to one another, all at different tones. And small leapt from the water snapping at the insects hovering above, their prism-like scales turning them into living rainbows as they sailed through the air.

In the middle of all this alien beauty, the three travelers from Kanalis walked along. Leon Redbeard led his companions through the strange forest world, his confidence never faltering as Emily and Miskit followed him. While Emily had her staff to help her along, Leon and Miskit walked without any such aid. They had been walking nonstop for half a day, and although Emily's feet were starting to complain, she remained silent, determined not to let weariness interrupt her mission.

Still, that didn't stop her from being curious. "So, Leon," she said. "This curse. Is it contagious at all?"

The fox considered the question carefully before answering, "Fortunately, no. Tough it can affect others."

"In what way? I mean, it's obvious it would turn them into some kind of animal, but how does it determine which one to turn them into?"

Leon was silent for a long minute as he searched his mind for a plausible answer, but found none. "That I don't know," he said. "It doesn't affect them physically, even if a curse victim and another share some form of physical contact. But it delivers a huge emotional blow."

"I imagine so," Miskit remarked.

"The only way it could physically affect another is if the other person was the offspring of a victim." He turned around and walked backwards briefly, gesturing to himself. "As you can see, I'm one of them."

"How did it affect you?" Emily asked. "Outside the physical appearance?"

Leon halted and let out a deep sigh, and Emily could clearly tell that her inquiry had struck a deep wound. "It scarred me in more ways than one," he said softly, turning to face her. "Besides changing my outward appearance, it left me with irreparable emotional wounds. The friends I had then abandoned me, my mother died from shock when she was transformed, and my father died in the line of duty." Then he turned around and kept walking, more to hide his tears. "If you don't mind, I would appreciate it if we didn't bring it up again."

"Of course," Emily replied, her voice full of remorse. "I didn't mean to pry. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You didn't know." A short while later, Leon stopped in a small clearing. "We'll stop here," he announced.

"What?" Miskit asked, confused. "We haven't even started climbing yet!"

Leon had almost forgotten about the pink rabbit's presence, and this rude reminder had tapped his temper. Checking his annoyance, he looked back and replied, "We can't continue without proper preparation."

"But we're ready now," Emily told him.

"No," Leon said as he drew his sword. "You're not." Pulling his sword from the sheath on his back, he continued. "Before we go on, you must learn to control your powers. Otherwise, you will be a greater threat to us than our enemies."

"But her mother grows worse by the hour," Miskit reminded him. "We don't have time!"

"Then we must work quickly." Leon knelt and bowed his head as if addressing royalty, holding out his weapon. "I offer you my sword as a sign of trust and friendship."

Emily considered the offer with confusion. "Why do I need a weapon?" she asked.

The fox looked at her. "It will help to channel the power and focus the energy," he explained.

Emily considered a moment longer, then came to a decision. "Keep your sword," she said. "You have more skill with than I do. And you will likely need it at some point in the future. Won't this staff do just as well?"

"Not as well," Leon replied. "It's wood, as the sword is metal. Part of the energy that is released by the stone is electrical, and wood is much less conductive than metal." He replaced his weapon. "But I won't argue if you think it will suffice. It should be adequate for our purposes. Now follow me." He turned and kept walking, but only made it a few steps when Emily called to him.

"Leon." He stopped. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, looking slightly worried. "Why are you helping us?"

Looking at her from the corner of his eye, he answered. "Because in the end, it will be you who will have to be helping all of us."

Emily looked scared. Knowing that such a gargantuan task lay ahead of her was overwhelming. "I don't understand."

Leon turned to face her, his eyes serious. "How much did Silas tell you of his life's work?"

Emily was surprised at being asked about her great-grandfather. "I…never got the chance to speak with him," she said. "He passed away just before my brother was born. I was only two then."

Leon took in this information. "He must have told you something while he was alive."

Emily dug through her memory. "I seem to remember him telling me stories about his doings in life," she said, "but to someone who's not yet old enough to fully understand the concept of a pencil, it all seemed like fantasy to me."

Leon almost took this as an insult to all he'd been trying to help achieve, but was forced to admit she was right. To someone who was only just beginning to understand the concept of mobility, such information would come across as fantastic imagination. He snuffed his temper before it could explode. "Well," he answered calmly, "what he would have told you, if you could have understood it, is that there is a group of freedom fighters working to break the elf king's tyrannical grip. Silas, your great-grandfather, was one of them. And now, you have taken his place."

"But I didn't ask for any of this," Emily replied defensively. "I didn't even get the chance to decide whether or not I wanted it. I just got it. All I want is to find a cure for my mom and get my family home safely."

"And I will help you do that," Leon promised. "But the truth is that you have an even greater mission ahead of you. A mission whose importance you can't even begin to comprehend."

"What do you mean?" Emily begged.

"Emily," Leon said softly, taking her hands, "you must understand that our success depends on your willingness to accept the task that has been given to you. The task that Silas was unable to complete. If we fail now, it will not only be your mother who will die, but every-one in the resistance will perish as well. Including us."

All this was overwhelming. "But…why me?" Emily asked.

"Because it's in your blood, Emily," Leon explained simply.

"But my mom, and Grandpa Jimmy–they're descendants of Silas too. Why didn't they wear the stone?"

"Because Silas decided to leave them in the dark," Leon said, a note of disapproval entering his tone. "He kept them unaware of their destiny as heirs to the stone, and left them to lead what he thought was a normal life." Then his voice grew serious. "What he failed to realize is that by keeping them from their destiny, he has passed the burden down to you."

"How can you say he failed?" demanded Emily. "He only did what he thought was best for his family. Any good father would."

But Leon didn't back down. "Even with your mother's life on the line, and the lives of yourself and your brother threatened, you would say he didn't fail?" His voice was heavy. "Had he done the right thing, he could have spared you from this burden."

"Or my mom, or her father, could have died trying," Emily argued. "Not everyone wants to be a hero."

"But they should," Leon replied.

"Now look here, Mister Redbeard," interrupted Miskit. "I know you're some kind of strong, brave warrior–maybe destined for fame and fortune–but Silas left no mention of you. He did, however, leave me to look after Emily and her family. So if you'll kindly show us the way up that mountain, we can be on our way."

"Fine," Leon replied, clenching his fists. "If that's all you care about, then follow me."

"See?" Miskit said to Emily. "You just have to ask nicely."

Silently, Miskit and Emily followed their fox guide deeper into the forest. He led them along the path through the trees, their gnarled limbs seemingly trying to reach out and grab them. They passed a small pond fed by a stream where a swarm of insects swirled over the still water, their wings a kaleidoscope of flashing colors as they buzzed through shafts of light. High up in the canopy branches, birds could be calling to each other; some cried or honked, while others bleated or squawked. A few even seemed to shriek and scream. One was so shrill that Emily and Leon had to cover their ears, though Miskit was unaffected. After walking continuously for the better part of an hour, they came to a stop before an enormous cocoon.

"What is that?" asked Miskit.

"The entrance to the only known passage up the mountain," Leon replied.

"I figured that much," the pink rabbit said, "but what's blocking it?"

"Twenty tons of explosives," the bounty hunter explained. "When it was put here, I have no clue. But I would venture a guess that if anyone where to ignite it, the explosion would destroy both the entrance and the intruders. It's meant as a safeguard to keep people away from this place."

"So how do we get past it?"

"The Stonekeeper must move it." He looked back at Emily. "Now do you see why you're not ready?" he asked. "If you fail to control your powers here, you will destroy the entrance and kill us all…before the journey's even begun."

"And just how would you know?" Miskit asked skeptically. "You're not a Stonekeeper."

"You're right, I'm not. But I've seen other Stonekeepers destroy themselves because they couldn't control the power they possessed."

"And you can show me how to control these powers?" asked Emily.

"I can help," Leon answered. "But only if you willingly commit to fulfilling your role as a Stonekeeper. You must believe that you're here by choice, not circumstance."

"But how?" demanded Emily. "How can I believe that I'm here by choice when I know it's not true?"

Leon's answer was simple and firm. "Then you must make it true," he told her. "Take control of your life, and the stone will follow." He bent down and picked up something that looked like a huge almond. "We'll start small." Setting it on a rock, he instructed, "Pick up the seed using your powers. Without burning it."

Emily did as she was told. She willed the stone to power up, and she could feel the buzz of energy as it charged. She focused on the seed. Seconds later, the air lit up with reddish-pink light as the energy instantly traversed the distance between her and the seed. Electricity crackled through the narrow channel as the energy surrounded the seed. Emily focused on lifting the seed, which she managed easily enough. But then the power began to turn the seed black, and seconds later, it dropped to the ground, black and charred.

Leon picked up another one. "Again," he commanded. Emily tried again, with the same result. "Again."

"I can't do it, Leon," Emily complained, frustrated.

"Yes you can," Leon told her confidently. "Try again." Setting the third seed on the stone, he added, "But this time, use your staff."

Emily seemed skeptical. "How will that help?"

"Infuse it with the stone's power," he told her. "It will help to focus the energy."

"But I'll burn it, like the seeds."

Then Miskit remembered something. "But Emily," she interjected, "you've done it before. When we were running from the elves back in the city, you lifted both of us without so much as a singe. Remember?"

Leon looked at the pink rabbit, surprised and strangely enough, impressed. "You see?" he said with a smile. "You already know how to do this."

Emily was unconvinced. "But with Miskit, it's different," she said.

"How so?"

"I don't know. It's just different."

"But how is it different?" Leon pressed. "Why do you think it's different?"

"Because!" Instantly, Emily realized she was getting angry, and knew that the stone would feed off her emotion. So she forced herself to calm down. "Because I don't want to hurt her, I want to protect her. She may not be a living being, per se, but she's no less important to me than Navin or my mom."

"Then think of the seed in the same fashion," Leon said. "Think of it as your only source of food. Now protect it."

"But it's no the same," Emily complained.

"It's exactly the same." Emily was confused. "The seed may not appear to be alive, but it is. Inside it in the future generation of one of these trees. Without it, this forest wouldn't exist." Emily didn't answer, but still looked confused. "You'll soon learn that everything has a life force," Leon explained patiently, drawing his sword. "Some are easy to detect." Quick as a flash, he brought the blade down on the seed, slicing it in two. Inside were several pairs of glowing eyes, and then insects buzzed out into the air. "But to find others, you have to look beneath the surface. Listen for your staff's life force, and focus your energy on it."

Now Emily was totally lost. "But this staff isn't alive," she pointed out.

"Yes it is," the fox replied.

But Emily was adamant. "No, it's not, Leon! It never was. When the tree it came from died, so did the wood." Leon opened his mouth to argue, but she stopped him. "This staff is not alive, Leon. There is no life force to focus on."

Leon didn't like being told what was or wasn't possible, but he was forced to admit that Emily was right. The staff wasn't alive. It never had been and it never would be. There was nothing to focus on. "You're right, Emily," he said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be pushing you so hard when the means to accomplish what you need to accomplish aren't available." He thought for a moment, then said, "But perhaps we can try another way."

"What did you have in mind?"

"The staff helps you along, right?" Emily nodded. "And it makes walking easier, correct?" Another nod. "Then since it's dead, there is no life force to focus on. So focus on the staff itself."

"How is that going to help?"

"Think of it as a third leg," Leon said. "A leg that you can't survive without. You have to protect it."

Emily thought about this for a moment, then tried his suggestion. Willing the stone to charge up, she focused on the physical staff. Within seconds, the energy surrounded and encased the staff in a protective shell.

Leon smiled. "Excellent," he said. "Now pick up the seed. Except it does have a life force. Focus on protecting it, like the staff."

Emily did. She focused on lifting the seed, but with the intention of protecting it. The energy flowed through the staff and flashed toward the seed, instantly enveloping it. And the seed became airborne. One inch. Six inches. A foot. Higher and higher it went, completely encased in the energy.

"Well done," Leon said. Emily stopped the flow of energy, and the seed dropped into his hand. "Not even warm. Excellent work, Emily. Now let's try something a little bigger." He ran over to a piece of a trunk that had come from a large tree. "Now, I want you to—"

"Welcome back, young master," said the spirit inside the stone, drowning out Leon's voice. "I was beginning to think you were upset with me."

I was, Emily replied, her mind strained from trying to listen to both Leon's voice and the spirit's. I've had some time to cool down since then.

"But one's quest for power is too important, right?" Emily could sense the spirit shifting its focus to Leon. "I like the fox man. He has a desire to fight."

But not like you have, Emily pointed out. You just want to fight for the sake of violence.

"Oh, young Stonekeeper, your words wound me," the spirit replied in dramatic theater fashion. "I don't wish to fight just because I can, I wish to fight because you wish to fight."

Then you obviously don't know me very well, Emily replied.

"On the contrary," the spirit answered. "I know everything there is to know about you. It's the fox who doesn't know you very well."

Give him a break, Emily said. We only met this morning. Of course he doesn't know me very well.

"Then let's show him what a powerful ally he has." With that, the spirit channeled the stone's energy, enveloped the section of tree and began to lift it. With Leon still on top. The fox lost his balance and fell off, hitting the ground with a resounding oof.

"Emily, stop!" cried Miskit.

But the spirit drowned out her voice as well. The world around Emily seemed to be nonexistent as the stone's power rushed through her mind. "Feel that power, young master," the spirit said as the log lifted higher and higher. "With it, we can accomplish anything." Then it suddenly let go of the log, and Leon had to leap out of the way to keep from getting crushed. Turning toward the cocoon of explosives, the spirit again channeled the energy, surrounded it, and pulled it from the entrance, letting it fall to the ground with an earthshaking crash.

"Emily?" Miskit asked, worried. "Are you okay?"

"You don't need them, master," the spirit said. "We can do this on our own. They'll only slow us down and make us weaker." Wind rushed through the now open entrance, and Emily looked into it. "Leave them behind. This road belongs to us."

No, Emily told it. We travel together, or not at all.

"But master–"

We're a team, she went on. And we're friends. I'm not going to leave them behind. I need them.

"Listen to yourself."

I am. And now I'm telling you to leave me in peace.

The spirit relented. "As you wish." Then it retreated back into the stone.

"Are you all right?" Miskit asked Leon, suddenly concerned for his safety.

"I'm fine," he told her. "It takes more than a fall and nearly being crushed by a log to kill me."

"Leon…" He looked at her. She was standing with her back to him, in the middle of the rushing wind. "Something's happening to me."

"You're getting stronger," he replied. "And so is the stone."

"Good," Emily said. "That will make it easier to control this."

"Just be careful, Emily," he cautioned her. "It works both ways. The stone's power is the reflection of its keeper's strength. As you grow stronger, the stone does as well, and it will become harder to control."

"What if I lose control?" Emily asked. "What then?"

"We would be in a whole heap of trouble," Leon answered. "But that won't happen."

"How do you know that? What make you so sure?"

"Because I believe that the gadoba trees were right about you."

"The gadoba trees? You can speak to them?"

"Of course. And I imagine they look forward to speaking with you as well." He walked into the large entrance. "No come on. We can't afford to wait here any longer."

Together, they walked into the long tunnel that would lead them to the pathway up the mountain.

* * *

Back in the city, the house was still docked at pier ten and under armed guard by the elves. So far, their attempt to cut off the Navin and Emily from their home seemed to be working. All day, there had been no sign of heads or heels of either. As far as the elves knew, the house was as good as theirs. But the security would not last.

Further down the docks, Navin and the curse victim who had been turned into an octopus crouched inside a large wastebin filled with fish. Though the bin's contents had been inside for almost three days and beginning to spoil, the smell emitted from the load didn't phase Navin nor his companion.

"There's less protection that I thought there would be," Navin remarked.

The octopus—whose name Navin had learned was Turin—observed the scene. "There are only a few guards," he added. "It's now or never."

Balan stood behind the bin, disguised as a member of the city's garbage collection service. "Okay, guys," he said. "Here we go." And he began to push the wastebin toward the house. Ever since they'd left the safety of the Resistance's underground headquarters, Balan had been forming a script for himself that would have gotten rounds of applause at a theater.

One of the guards patrolling the entrance to the house saw him coming, and stopped him. "Where are you going?" he demanded. "This dock is off limits."

"I was told by the commander to empty the garbage before presenting the house to the king," Balan replied without so much as a catch. "If you want to handle it, be my guest!"

The guard was a bit put off by Balan's brazen attitude. "Open it up," he ordered.

"Are you sure you wanna do that?"

"Do as you're told, peasant!"

"You probably won't like what's in here."

"I said open it!"

Balan shrugged. "All right," he said casually. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Balan opened the flap on the front of the receptacle, and instantly the stench of rotting fish hit them both. Balan was unaffected. But the elf's reaction to the smell was one of utter disgust. "Oh, that's right," Balan said, as if remembering something. "Elves can't stand fish can they? The last pickup was the marina. Sorry." To maintain the disguise, he added insolently, "I guess that's why we get these jobs. Lucky us."

"Just go!" gasped the guard. "Do your job. Just get it away from me!"

So Balan did, and left guard behind him, hacking and coughing. He chuckled to himself. "Works like a charm every time." He wheel-ed the bin up to the house and pressed the hose against the waste disposal socket. Instantly, the suction ensured a secure fit. Lifting the flap, he peered inside and whispered, "Okay, boys, you're up."

Navin and Turin slopped through the fish carcasses to their end of the hose. Shining a flashlight inside, Turin said, "You first, sir."

So Navin went first. Partly because he was told to, and partly because he was the leader of the Resistance fighters. But that didn't necessarily make the trip any easier. The inside of the tube was caked with refuse—both organic and synthetic—from dozens of stops. And the smell was so assaultive that to almost made him retch. Fortunately, the distance wasn't far, and he soon opened the hatch to the garbage chute. He pulled himself out of the chute, then turned around and grabbed hold of his subordinate's arms. Or tentacles. Whatever they were. He didn't really care what they were, because he was having a hard time helping his soldier out of the chute. When he finally popped out, Navin was surprised that their presence hadn't attracted any attention. At least not yet. "We need to get to the attic," he said.

"Lead the way, sir," Turin answered.

Navin led the way deeper into the house. Turin was right behind him the whole way. They exited the maintenance bay, then climbed up a ladder and entered the main room, in the middle of which was a tree whose branches were covered with some kind of glowing orbs about the size of oranges. From there, the raced up a spiral staircase on the far side of the room. After several minutes, they reached the top, both of them winded. Looking through a door, Navin saw his robot friends. "There they are," he announced.

"Do you have the key?" wheezed Turin.

Navin dug into his pocket and produced a rectangular device, then went over to the primary control panel. "Morrie said that all I have to do is plug this into the main terminal. I just have to find it." He looked back at his mechanical companions. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I'll get you guys out of this mess." Just then, he heard the distinctive shink of a weapon being drawn, and looked behind him to see an elf wind up for a swing. Navin skipped backward and felt the rush of air as the sharp tips of the elf's gloves missed his face by inches.

"Intruder," the elf hissed, and made to take another swipe at the boy. But he'd barely gone forward a single step when several things entangled him, trapping both his arms and covering his mouth.

"I've got him under control, sir," Turin said. "Do it!"

Navin took the key and slipped it into the first plug he saw. It was a very lucky guess, because the robots reactivated. Navin looked at his mechanical friends. "Welcome back, Cogsley," he said.

"Thanks, chief," the robot replied. "We'd have been factory-fresh if you hadn't shown up."

"Ain't that the truth," Navin agreed. "Now let's get out of here." Before they ran up to the cockpit, Navin said to Turin, "Take him to the garbage chute. Let him have some fun with those who were kind enough to give us a ride."

The smirk on Turin's face was one of utter delight. "With pleasure, sir!" And he led the struggling elf away.

Once in the cockpit, Navin and Cogsley fired of the house. "Startup sequence initiated," the robot reported. "We should be good to go in thirty minutes."

"Cogsley," Navin asked, "do you believe in premonitions?"

Cogsley was surprised by this inquiry. "That's a strange question to ask a robot," he answered. "Honestly, no. I don't. But I do believe in predictions based on sound mathematical equations. If the 'premonitions' were based on such math, then yes, I would believe them."

"Then let's hope that trees are bad at math," Navin said.

Like two eyes, the massive floodlights above the cockpit flickered to life.

* * *

Meanwhile, Emily was following Leon up the mountain. Specifically, up a sheer cliff face. Leon was quick and nimble, whereas Emily had to pull the weight of both herself and Miskit from one ledge to the next. It was grueling work. She was breathing hard and her arms were getting tired. But still she pressed on. Slowly, but not unmoving.

But Leon was beginning to lose patience. "Why aren't you using the stone?" he called down to her.

"I can do this without it," she hollered back.

"Not nearly as fast," Leon pointed out. "And it is your mother's life we're trying to save, right?"

"What if I lose control and the stone takes me over?" Emily demanded. "I wouldn't be much help to any of us then, would I?"

This stopped Leon's impatient complaints cold. He knew she was right. Again. Using the stone too much would leave the user more susceptible to its tempting power. It was a double-bladed sword. By not using the stone, she was sparing herself the temptation to let its power suffuse through her being, while at the same time building up her own endurance. But it didn't stop him from being concerned. "You're going to kill yourself with that attitude you know," he remarked.

"Maybe so," she replied tersely. "But it's a lot better than losing control and mindlessly killing a bunch of other people."

Again, she was right. She seemed to be making a lot of deep, truthful points lately. And Leon, having never liked to be proven wrong, was starting to bet annoyed. "That's really starting to get on my nerves," he muttered.

"What is?" asked Emily as she pulled herself onto the ledge he was on.

"Nothing," he replied quickly as Emily grunted and swung herself onto the ledge. "We'll stop here for now," he announced. "We should rest before we continue."

"And you're not even tired," Emily remarked dryly. "How ironic." Miskit got off her shoulders and Emily rolled onto her back, her chest heaving like a bellows. While she got her wind back, Leon dug into his pack and retrieved a bundle of twigs he'd scavenged from the forest below. Laying it in a rough pile, he struck flint to the wood and started a fire. It was small, but more than sufficient to keep them warm in the lofty mountain air. Also, the fact that the cliff was facing away from the wind helped as well.

After warming up her numb hands and regaining her breath, Emily looked at her guide. "Leon," she said, "you never answered my question earlier: What happens to Stonekeepers when they lose control of their stones?"

Leon was quiet for a moment as he considered how to answer, then finally replied, "They…change."

When he didn't say anything more, Emily pressed, "How, Leon? How do they change?"

The fox sighed and leaned forward, staring into the fire. "Thirty years ago," he began, "four young Stonekeepers lost control of their powers. The stones took control of their minds and bodies, and with the power surging through them, transformed them into colossal beasts. When the transformations were complete, they became determined to destroy everything in their path. Even those who had been hesitant to so much as speak harsh words to another were now consumed with the desire for power. And in their mindless quest, they set the surface of Alledia ablaze.

"If not for the efforts of the Stonekeepers who fought against these monsters, your great-grandfather among them, none of us would be here today. The resistance was able to capture and destroy the rogue Stonekeepers. All except one. He used to be a quiet and peaceful boy from a small elf village, but after his transformation, he was never the same. The elders were able to separate him from his stone. Some small piece of him knew that he posed an enormous threat to his home and everything he loved. So he made a selfless request to be executed. But the elders denied his request, convinced they could cure him of the curse. They failed to realize that once someone gets a taste of absolute, boundless power, nothing will stop them from attaining it. And when he talked, which was seldom, he spoke only of his desire for that power, and warned of dark times ahead. He told them that they would regret having kept him alive, and that he would show them why.

"My father was one of the prison guards assigned to watch over the elf. He was there the night when the stone returned to help the boy escape. It was the last time I saw him alive…and when the elf king was born."

"So that boy was the elf king," Emily realized.

"Yes."

"Is that why you're doing this?" she asked. "Because he killed your father?"

"No," Leon answered. "At least not entirely. Some part of me does desire retribution, but it's not what motivates me. I took up bounty hunting partly to support myself, and also as a way of honoring my father by helping to rid the land of those who would inflict harm to others who are innocent."

Emily took her stone in her hand and looked at it. She was silent for a long minute as she studied it. "These things killed your father," she mused. "So how do you know that you can trust me?"

Leon's green eyes sparkled with determination behind the reflection of the firelight. "My mission has always been to destroy the elf king," he said. "And since all the others have been tempted or forced into serving the elf king, you're the last, best hope I have for seeing that happen."

* * *

Far below, the elves of the force sent by the elf king to eradicate Emily walked through the forest. There were eight in all. Six of them were regular soldiers; four had been selected from the Kanalis city guard, and the other two were the only ones who had escaped uninjured from the encounter with Emily. Luger and Trellis rode upon the backs of crawler hounds.

Crawler hounds were enormous beasts that resembled wolves. But they were about a dozen times larger and had six legs. They relied mainly on their sense of smell, so their ears were small and their noses were huge. Their mouths were gigantic clamps filled with sharp, rip-ping teeth and dripped saliva. Their bodies stood eight tall at the arch of their backs. Their tails were long and bushy, and their toes ended in fearsome claws that could easily slice through flesh.

Trellis was behind Luger on his own hound. He looked about nervously at the trees in both anticipation and reluctance. As much as he wanted to prove himself to his father, he also knew that his father would never be satisfied with anything he did. His father's obsession with killing the young Stonekeeper had become his only goal in life, though he hadn't the courage to undertake the task himself. Also, his fear of the Stonekeeper had made him paranoid, and he burst out with rage whenever someone he'd sent to wipe her out had failed. His father would never accept him, no matter how hard he tried. It was a futile endeavor thrust upon his by a paranoid man.

Something about his mood must have alerted his companions, because Luger asked, "What are you hiding, Trellis?"

The elf prince was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I can sense you hesitation," Luger stated bluntly. "The air around you is as thick as blood."

"I don't know what you're getting at, Luger."

"Stop the convoy." Everyone stopped, including the crawler hounds. Luger turned around and glared at Trellis. "You know exactly what I'm getting at," he hissed.

Trellis was suddenly grabbed by two of the guards. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Get your hands off me!" He struggled to free himself, but they easily overpowered him and yanked him from the saddle.

Luger slid off his steed's back, his feet squelching in the ankle-deep mud. Spying a stout branch nearby, he went over and picked it up, tapping it in one hand like a law enforcement officer. "It's time to end this," he growled.

"What? You haven't even given me a chance to prove myself!"

Energy from Luger's stone surrounded the branch. "You've had plenty of chances already. And in every instance, you have failed. So I'm going to help you this time. And the only way I can ensure your success…is by taking you out of the equation."

"What? No!"

"After the wounds have healed, you'll thank me for this."

"You don't want to do this, Luger!"

"You're right. But it's the only option I have left." And he leapt into the air, holding the branch above his head like a sword.

Something bordering on panic flooded through Trellis as he helplessly watched the wood rush toward his face. "No!" But Luger ignored his cries, and brought the stick down on Trellis' head, and the elf prince's cry of agony echoed through the trees. When the horrible sound faded, Trellis lay face-down on the ground, convulsing and shaking.

Luger stood over him, his face a show of cruel indifference, but his eyes held a trace of remorse. "Someday," he said, "you might also learn to do what is right, even if it hurts. I'm sorry, my prince." He turned around and walked back toward his steed. "But I cannot and will not let you ruin my opportunity." Then to his mean he ordered, "Move out." And they moved off, leaving Trellis to fend for himself.

* * *

The three travelers continued on. The ground had leveled out, and they were now so high up that the cold mist had enveloped them and obscured everything outside of a ten-foot radius. More than once they had tripped on a protruding rock or almost broken an ankle in a hole. But despite the dangers, they went on, undiscouraged.

As they neared the summit, Leon said, "The gadoba forest should be right around here somewhere."

Miskit looked around, but saw only milky white mist. "I don't see anything."

"It's the fog," Emily observed. "It's too thick." She climbed on top of a small ridge and flushed power to her staff.

"That's just great," Miskit complained, turning on their guide. "You said those trees were right…" The fog cleared. "In front of us."

Before them, dozens of gadoba trees stood. Around their roots were hundreds of skeletons. Most of them had tattered clothes, and some wore suits of armor. Thousands of empty sockets stared back at them, their mouths still open in their last scream of agony. "So many," Emily thought aloud. "I wonder who they were."

"Travelers," replied a voice. Startled, Emily raised her staff and held it like a baseball bat, ready to whack to the first person she saw that was not of their party. "Travelers just like you," the voice went on. "They all came here looking for the same thing."

Emily turned and nearly jumped out of her skin at what she saw. Two glowing slits had appeared in one of the trees, above a nose and a mouth. She realized that what Leon had said earlier in their journey about being able to talk to gadoba trees was true. And this one was talking to her!

"The fruit that can cure any disease and nullify any poison. The elixir for all ailments. Imagine the power it would bring to those who controlled it. Many have killed their companions and even their closest friends and relatives to have it for themselves. Entire families have met their end here. Undoubtedly, this is what you seek as well…"

"I—"

"Brother Malken!" called another voice, interrupting them both. "I do not believe she has come here seeking power or the benefits thereof. I sense something different about this one. Don't you?"

"Yes, yes," Brother Malken muttered. "Different indeed."

Emily indicated the skeletons with a wave of her arms. "Why did all these people die?"

"Because they picked the wrong fruit, of course," Brother Malken replied, as though it were the most trivial thing in the world. Emily looked up at the crop of fruit hanging from the tree's branches. "For every fruit that gives life, there are a hundred that take it away." She looked at one of the skeletons at her feet, its empty sockets staring back at her. "Very few succeed in reaping the rewards of their journey."

Another tree spoke, addressing Emily's friend and guide. "Leon Redbeard. It has been a long time, my friend."

"It has, Brother Krell," the fox replied. "Too long. But even time cannot keep me from fulfilling my promise."

"Thank the spirits for that, Leon," Brother Krell said. "There are too few with a heart like yours in the world today. Fear and selfishness permeates the very thread of society."

"Such truth is difficult to live with," Leon answered sadly. "Life under the elves' rule has become bitter and hard. More and more people are forced to live in squalor. Or on the run, like myself."

"So unfortunate," Brother Krell mused, then turned to Emily. "So, you now believe that this girl is the one we've been waiting for?"

Leon set his face, and in sure voice, he replied, "What I sense about her is far beyond belief, Brother Krell."

"Very well," Krell said. "Show us."

There was a brief silence, broken only when Emily remarked quietly to Leon, "Not very trusting are they?"

"It's only natural that you think us suspicious," Malken said. "And for that, I apologize. But after the scores of travelers that have come here saying one thing and then doing another, we can no longer trust anyone's word. We fully intend to give you what you seek, if you prove your sincerity."

Leon looked at Emily. "That's their condition, Emily," he said. "If you really are that determined to save your mother, then you must prove that you mean what you say. You must choose a fruit and eat it."

Emily looked at him, then at the fruit above, and back again. "But how do I know which one to pick?"

Leon put a hand on her shoulder. "Just remember what I taught you," he answered. "Everything living has a life force."

The grove became deathly silent as Emily considered how best to take on the challenge before her. She looked at the situation from every possible angle. There were only two possible outcomes, and only one way to find out which one she would end up with. Finally, she willed the stone around her neck to activate. Then, suffusing her staff with its power, she told it to do what she wanted. A white lance of magic snaked upward and zipped from one fruit to the next. But none of them returned a positive signal.

"Those don't feel right." She continued to search until she found one. With a quick jerk, the selected fruit broke free from the branch and fell to the ground with a fleshy splat. Picking it up, she said, "This is the one."

But Miskit wasn't so sure about it, and shouted, "Emily, wait!"

Too late. Emily took a bite, made a face, swallowed and shuddered. As soon as the bite left her mouth, she let out a disgusted, "UGH!"

"Emily!"

"Keep your head on, Miskit," she replied. "I'm fine, it just tastes terrible."

Brother Malken said, "Leon is right. You have the gift. There is more where that came from. Please feel free to harvest them."

Emily was about to do so, when a thought struck her. "Leon," she asked, "will this be enough to cure my mother?"

"Absolutely," the fox replied. "More than enough. Just one fruit is enough to cure any ailment a dozen times."

Emily considered this information, then decided. "I want to take a few more. Call me selfish, but I want to be prepared for the next time something like this happens."

Brother Malken shed six more of the life-giving fruits. "This should be plenty for your reasons," he said. "Take them to use as you see fit."

The trio collected the fallen fruit. "Will they ever spoil?" Emily asked.

"No," Brother Krell answered simply.

"Then we'll take what you've given us. Thank you for your help."

"Although we accept your thanks," said Brother Malken, "it is us who should be thanking you, young Stonekeeper. We wish you the best of luck."

"What?" Miskit exclaimed. "Only seven? We should take as many as we can carry!"

"You heard them," Emily answered, indicating the trees. "These fruits can heal anything. I'll admit, the power that would come from their possession is tempting, but I'll only take as many as we need. No more."

"But…but…"

"If we take more than that, we'll only cause more trouble. For more than ourselves."

"Quiet!" Leon hissed. Emily and Miskit fell silent. The fox stood looking out into the mist-filled forest, his eyes focused and his ears erect. A faint shape flitted between two trees, then disappeared. Leon squinted, peering closer at the spot. Another shape flashed.

"What is it?" asked Miskit.

"I saw something move between the trees. We have to leave. Now." He turned to the elder gadoba tree. "I'm sorry, Father Malken. It's likely that the elves have picked up our trail. We were careless."

"Your apologies are wasted on circumstances outside your control, Leon," Malken replied. "The elves would have found it sooner or later. Don't worry about us. Leave quickly, and keep the Stonekeeper safe. And be careful; your journey back down the mountain will be far more perilous than your journey here."

"Also," added Brother Krell, "we you rejoin the Resistance, please give Brother Alder our best wishes."

"You have my word," Leon promised. Then he turned to the others. "Let's go. We'll be harder to track in the dark."

As they left, Krell asked Malken, "Why did you not tell him what lies ahead?"

"He already knows," was Malken's simple answer.

* * *

Emily, Leon and Miskit took the same path down the mountain that they had taken going up: A narrow ledge protruding from the cliff face just wide enough to walk on. A ball of energy around the top of Emily's staff provided illumination and cleared their path of the blinding fog. Emily's attention was suddenly drawn to something farther down the cliff, and she stopped to see what it was. It was a solitary tree—or what looked like on—clinging to the edge of the cliff face.

Leon noticed. "What is it?" he asked. "Did you see something?"

Emily shook her head. "No, it's nothing important. Just a dead tree." And she took another step.

Just as her foot landed on the rock, a piece of the ledge cracked and gave way under her weight. Emily knew she would have to act quickly to save herself, and threw her hand up, latching onto the edge of the narrow walkway. "Emily!" Leon cried, reaching down to help her. But with one hand clutching her staff, and the other keeping her from falling to a horrible death, she had nothing to grab with. Instead, she will the power of the stone to surround her and lift her up.

"Well, look at that!" exclaimed Miskit.

With a trace of annoyance, Emily said, "You worry about me too much."

Leon huffed. "It's good that your confidence is strong, but you really need to be more careful." He turned and started walking again. "We still have a long way to go."

* * *

Back at the grove, a shadowy figure stepped out of the mist. It was an elf–tall, dashing, and a look of mock friendliness on his face. He looked at the gadoba trees in front of him and said, "Good afternoon, you worthless stumps." The trees didn't answer, instead just staring back at him. "You don't seem too pleased to see me."

Brother Malken replied, "It has been a long time since your people were welcome here, Luger."

Luger gave a twisted little smile. "Oh yes, one could hardly notice," he said sarcastically. "Most of the skeletons here are the remains of elves, are they not?" His smirk disappeared and was replaced by a hateful scowl. "Your kind has killed more elves than the plague!"

"Do not go casting blame when you do not know where it rightly belongs," answered Brother Krell.

Luger growled at him. "Don't talk back to me, you ancient wood heaps!"

But the trees were not intimidated. "You would do well to listen to Brother Krell, Luger," Malken advised.

"The one who blindly casts blame and calls another a fool is naught but a fool himself," Krell said wisely.

Luger's patience was wearing thin. "Where are the girl and her company?"

"We know only that they left us a short while ago," Malken answered.

"Going which way?"

"Even we cannot see through the mists."

"Which way?"

"We do not know," said Krell.

"Tell me!"

"We have told you all we can."

Luger's temper snapped, and he snatched a torch away from the soldier next to him. "Tell me or I'll burn down all of you!"

"Whether you leave us be or burn us down, you will get no more than we have to offer."

Furious, Luger threw the torch into the trees' midst and ordered, "Let's go."

The flame quickly spread to encompass the trees. "Brother Malken," asked one of the trees, "is this the end?"

"We are not the last of the gadoba trees, Brother Henn," Malken answered. "Let's just hope that this is a new beginning."

So all the trees closed their eyes and waited for the end, accepting their fate.

* * *

The air around the three travelers began to clear. But it was just the layer near the ground that was clear. Though it was unnatural due to how high up they still were, none of them really seemed to notice the change. Until Emily came out of her thoughts and took in their surroundings. At first, it seemed to be one of the many mysteries of nature. But as she continued to look about, she began to notice that something was clearly not normal. "Why is the air seeming to clear?" she wondered aloud.

"Because we're getting closer to sea level," Leon answered.

"Already?" asked Miskit. "We've only just started back down."

This observation made Leon realize how absurd his reply had been. Miskit was right, they had only just started their descent a few hours ago; there was no way they could be that close to sea level yet. He looked around, and noticed that the layer of air near the ground was indeed clear. The air above that was still thick with fog. He stopped. "How strange."

Then Miskit glanced back. "Hey, look," she called. The other two turned around. "The forest is burning."

"The elves are close," Leon muttered. "Very close. Less than half a day behind us. We can't stay here. Keep moving."

Emily's eyes widened in disbelief. "What!" she exclaimed. "We have to go back!"

"No," the fox answered. "It's in the wrong direction, and we can't afford to lose time."

"But what about Malken, and Krell, and Henn, and the others?"

"Even if we could, they'd be charred trunks by the time we got there."

"So you're just going to leave them?"

Leon looked at her with determined resolution. "My job is to protect you, not them. They knew that they would one day pass on. I don't like to leave them to their fate any more than you do, Emily, but the facts of life are cruel and harsh. There is nothing we can do for them now. Except honor their gift to us." He started walked again. "Now come. The elves are close, and we must hurry."

Emily turned back toward the glow, and Miskit tugged on her arm. "Let's go," the pink rabbit said. "We can't afford to linger."

With one last look at the light reflecting off the clouds, Emily reluctantly turned and followed her two companions. She didn't want to leave the gadoba trees to their fate. What if she needed their life-saving fruit in the future, for some purpose greater than the life of one person? Now that she had proven that her intentions were not for her own gain, the trees would willingly give her their fruit to help cure any and all illnesses that struck indiscriminately at the people of Alledia, killing and forever mutilating many of them.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the stone-spirit touched her mind. "Emily."

Emily frowned and lashed back irately, The one thing I don't need right now is you.

"Your words wound me, young master," the spirit replied. "Why are you so upset with me?"

Emily scoffed. As if you wouldn't know.

"You're right. Of course I know. I know all that goes on in your mind."

How very comforting, said the girl, her voice gushing sarcasm.

"That's why I'm here, but it's not why I've contacted you. Look at them. Don't you see the trouble you're causing for others? We can end their suffering right now and be done with them." Emily looked at the two in front of her. "You can't rely on them, for their sakes."

Emily's voice was rife with resentment as she replied, If you've got a piece of helpful advice, I'm all ears. If not, then leave.

"You must take matters into your own hands! Together, you and I can destroy the elf king. Just let the stone take control."

The spirit's voice was layered so thickly with charm that her resolve to resist the stone's tempting power faltered fractionally. Then she regained control of herself. No, she answered decisively. I must believe in my friends and family. I have to believe in them. I need to.

"Why? Because you see that they're important in your quest for power?"

Emily jaw tightened. You know as well as I do that power is not my motivation.

"And how will you feel when they all die for you?"

For an instant, Emily's fear of losing everything she held dear clutched her heart. Where would she be without them? How would she continue the battle to help gain Alledia's freedom from the iron grip of the elf king? Most important, who would she turn to for support? The stone, of course! She would be most vulnerable in her grief, when her resolve and determination to do the right thing would be at their weakest point. She reasserted her will, and answered, That won't happen.

"How can you be so sure?"

Because I won't let it happen. With that, she severed the connection with the stone.


	7. Chapter 6

Their journey down the mountain was far less perilous and less difficult than the ascent to its summit. But at the same time, it was much more agoraphobic, because now they knew that they were being pursued. They hurried down the mountain as fast as the terrain would allow. Sometimes they made good progress; other times the going was aggravatingly slow due to slippery rocks and narrow ledges only as wide as their feet were long. Several times, one of them had almost fallen off a cliff or been smashed by a falling boulder. By the time they had made it halfway down the mountain and the sun was starting to sink, all of them had narrowly escaped death. And by the time evening had arrived, there was not one of them who hadn't been scraped, scratched, cut or bruised.

It was late afternoon when they reached the upper boundary of the forest. "How much farther?" asked Miskit impatiently.

"We're almost at the base," Leon answered. "Not far to go now."

The deeper they penetrated into the woods, the cooler the air became. Mist began to rise from the damp ground and soon formed a thick, soupy mass that encompassed them. Objects more than fifty feet away took on a ghostly appearance, their shapes outlined in the haze. More than a few times, they tripped over a rock or a root that protruded from the ground. After traveling for hours, and still in the forest, the sun was beginning to set. As it got darker, the thick mist gave the woods an eerie feeling. As they passed a pair of trees that had grown up beside each other and twisted together, a twig snapped.

They all stopped cold. "Did you hear that?" whispered Miskit, pointing to where she'd heard the sound. "It's over there…"

They all turned to where she was pointing. Staring toward the hole left between the two trees, they watched for any sign of movement, willing whatever it was to reveal itself. Another twig snapped and they heard the sound of bipedal footsteps, and knew that it was no beast of the forest watching them. "They're here," said Leon, reaching back and grabbing his sword. Emily held up her staff.

From out of the fog there appeared an elf, tall and strongly built with a veil of white hair wafting in the wind from the back of his bald head. His ears stood out from his head like twin daggers. "I'm scared," Emily whispered.

"Stay focused," Leon told her.

"So," said the elf, his voice low and full is menace, "we finally meet, Stonekeeper." He took in the little band. "And Leon Redbeard. I thought it was your fur that I found in the marketplace."

"We have no business with you, Luger," the fox spat. "Just leave us alone and we'll be on our way."

"That would be so much simpler, wouldn't it?" A large shape loomed up behind him, then came into view. It was an enormous six-legged beast, with gray fur, ghost-white eyes and a snarling maw full of razor-sharp teeth. "But I have a job to do, and it won't be done until I've removed the king's most troublesome problem."

The three travelers tensed, knowing they were about to be attacked. "Remember," Leon whispered to Emily, "retain control of you power. The stone's strength depends on how much power you use, so be careful. Whatever you do, don't let it take over."

"I won't," Emily promised.

"Sticks and stones won't help you here," Luger sneered. "Kill them." The crawler hound leapt toward them.

Emily and Leon readied themselves for battle. Gripping her staff tightly in her hands, she suffused it with the stone's power and watched as the horrid monstrosity of nature hurled itself toward her. The crawler hound barked—a horrible, grating sound that echoed off the trees and sent bits of spit flying from its mouth. As it drew nearer, Emily swung her staff over the ground and tore up several sizeable chucks of rock. With a whoosh of power, she swung her staff again and hurled them toward the monstrous animal.

But the crawler hound would not be discouraged and plowed right through the flying debris with its mouth open, and Emily jumped sideways as the creature brought its jaws together with a mighty snap. As it prepared for another charge, Emily found the extra few seconds she needed to prepare a counterattack. Willing the power of the stone to fill the staff, she jumped forward and with a powerful cry released the power upon the crawler hound. The beast gave a final yelp before it was disintegrated.

Leon, meanwhile, had found his own opponent. An elf soldier had engaged him in a deadly game of swordplay. Time and again they brought their blades to a crashing collision, until Leon delivered a devastating blow to the elf's sword in mid-swing, neatly cleaving the blade in two. The elf had only enough time to realize what had happened before Leon promptly knocked it out of his hand, who then swiftly beheaded him.

Seeing his crawler hound vaporized had proved little deterrent for Luger, who had stepped up to personally fight Emily. He suffused his hands with the power from his own stone and smirked at the girl smugly, then in a movement developed for the Dragon Style of martial arts on Earth, he brought his hands back, put his wrists together, then thrust them forward with a cry of hatred.

In the split second she had to decide how best to defend herself, Emily sent her own power forward. The two fighters' power met in a blinding flash of light and energy, and it soon became apparent that Emily would be defeated. "He is much too powerful."

_Oh, great. You again._

"In knowledge and skill, you are outmatched. There is only one way you can beat him."

_Go away. I don't need you._

"Just give control to the stone."

_No!_

That was Emily's mistake. While she was arguing with the stone's spirit, her concentration slipped. When she screamed at it, she unwittingly created a gap in her defenses. Sensing the decrease in her power, Luger pressed his attack and sent a wave of energy toward her. Emily cried out in pain and shock as his assault overwhelmed her cracked defenses and plowed through weakening power. In an instant, the stress shattered her staff into a thousand pieces, and Luger's energy enveloped her, lifting her off the ground.

"You don't have to suffer," said the spirit. "Give in to the stone; let it take away your pain!"

"Emily!" Leon flipped his sword over and held it upside down, then flung it like a spear. Luger batted it away with his armored fore-arm as easily as if he were swatting at a fly. In the process, his focus on keeping Emily levitated was broken, and she fell to the ground with a bodily thump.

Leon quickly snatched up his weapon and faced Luger. The elf towered over him. If Leon were not affected by the curse, he would have stood up to Luger's chin. The air was moving from the disturbance of the power from the two stones, and his scarf flapped in the wind. Chancing a glace back, he urged Emily to stand. "Emily, get up! Get up now!"

But the girl couldn't hear him through the deafening voice in her head. "Accept the stone's full power before it's too late!" the spirit told her.

No, she answered, desperately trying to maintain control. Leave me alone. I don't need you. I'm the one in control!

"And you will die holding onto it," the spirit warned. "Let the stone take over and make your transformation complete!"

Luger picked up his sword, and Leon tensed, preparing himself to fight. Luger sent the energy from his stone to his weapon, which did as it was bidden, enveloping the blade in a pale green glow. "Emily!" Leon shouted. Luger snarled at him, then lifted his sword, and Leon had just enough time to lift his own weapon to parry the blow. Their blades met with a sharp metallic clang. Leon's face was a picture of effort as he fought to push Luger away. Luger's own gaunt features showed no hint of strain, and he smirked at the fox. Almost before Leon knew what was happening, he felt his adversary's heel drive into his left cheek and kick him back several yards. After tumbling head over tail at least a dozen times, Leon came to rest in a crumpled heap, momentarily unconscious from the blow. With his obstacle removed, Luger returned his attention to his reason for being here in the first place.

Miskit knelt next to Emily, who was shaking and shivering from the strain of trying to maintain control of the stone. She looked up to see the tall elf approaching. "Emily…?" Before she could say or do anything else, Luger reached out and took her by the throat. He beheld her for a moment, his brow creased with a frown as he studied the pathetic form in his grasp, then flung her through the air. She flew face-first into a tree, her robotic systems scrambled enough to register as unconscious.

Turning away from the pink rabbit, Luger looked at Emily, who was still shivering. "So," he said slowly, "this is the young Stonekeeper who would destroy the king. How is it that you could possibly pose such a great threat?" The energy from his stone wrapped around his blade. "I would have preferred a spirited battle, but it looks like I'll have to settle for an execution." His eyes glinted dangerously. "Goodbye, Stonekeeper." He drew his arm back.

Just before he took the swing, he cried out as a shock of energy hit him. He fell to his knees, gasping from the sudden blow, then turned to see who had attacked him. There stood Trellis, his own sword drawn and wrapped in energy. "Little worm!" Luger hissed angrily. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What I know is right," Trellis answered. "And should have done long ago." He lifted his sword above his head and swung it forward with a mighty cry, sending a powerful wave of energy at his foe. Luger cried out in pain as the power jolted through his body, and was sent flying backward. He came to rest on his back, steaming from the surge. "This is it, Luger," Trellis said. "It's over."

Luger rose, gasped and coughing blood. "What makes you think that you can defeat me?"

"Because I believe I can, I know I can, and I will. And because the king taught me everything he taught you."

Luger's face became crossed with a demonic grin. "No. Not everything." His stone started to glow more intensely, and he laughed demonically.

Trellis looked on in worry and fear. Luger had always been the type to maintain control no matter the circumstances. But now it seemed he was losing control. In seconds, the elf's body began to change; not in shape, but in size. With cries of pain and maniacal power, Luger's clothes soon tore into shreds as his body outgrew them. Trellis watched in terrified awe as his companion grew to a height of fifty feet, the stone shining a spectral green in the center of his chest.

A short distance away, Leon urged Emily to run. "Emily, get up! Move!"

"I-I can't," Emily answered through clenched teeth, struggling to control the stone. "The stone—it's trying to take over."

Leon realized the urgency of the situation. "Keep fighting," he told her. "Don't let it get control. Without you, we won't get out of this alive."

He heard a cry, and looked up to see Trellis jump out from under Luger's titan fist just before it crushed him. The ground rumbled with the impact. Knowing who the giant elf's next targets would be, Leon draped Emily's arms over his shoulders and started toward the cliff. They might not have any choice but to jump. Trying to run while lugging the weight of two bodies is enough to quickly wear down anyone. Leon was no exception. The adrenaline offered some help, but after a few minutes, he began to feel the effects of the effort. He looked back to see what was happening, and wished he hadn't. "No!"

Luger's giant fist strung the ground right behind them. The shockwave and concussion launched them off the edge into the unknown depths of the valley below. Farther and farther they fell, nothing to break their plummet except the ground. But all hope was not lost. From out of the dust, another hand just as large as Luger's appeared and caught them. After recovering from the shock of the breath being knocked out of him, Leon looked forward and saw two small figures in a window.

"Got 'em!" announced Navin.

Without waiting, Theodore and Morrie opened a hatch on the house's wrist and rushed out onto the hand. Morrie draped Emily's arm across his shoulders and said, "Theodore, get the fox guy!" The little robot did as he was told and hefted Leon bodily over his dome. Then they rushed back in through the hatch. "They're inside," Morrie said.

Bottle, the big, boxy robot, took Emily from Morrie and went to the bedroom, where he laid her next to her mother. Navin was instantly there. "Em!" he cried. "Is she okay? Will she be all right?"

"She's battling the stone for control," Leon explained. "The stone's influence is strong, but Emily's will is stronger. She will prevail. She just needs a little more time."

"Then let's give her some," Navin said, growling with determination. "Cogsley, I'm coming back up. Everyone else, buckle up." And he rushed back up to the cockpit and took his seat in the pilot's chair. "Let's get up there."

"Navin," Cogsley said, "this house wasn't built for battle."

"We're not gonna fight," Navin replied, "we're gonna stall." With that, he began the necessary movements to make the house climb the cliff. Before long, they reached the top where Luger was waiting. The giant elf looked at the house and bared his teeth, anticipating a challenge. They stood there for several minutes, staring each other down. Unknown to Luger, Emily was inside his mechanical adversary. "Bring it," Navin hissed, then started running the house toward his opponent. "Come on!" He drew an arm back, preparing for a punch.

But Luger was a more experienced fighter, and had long since learned to watch the movements of others. He applied the same tactic here, and when Navin threw the punch, the elf danced to the side, where he grabbed the house's arm and wrenched it off at the elbow.

"We lost an arm!" Navin shouted.

"Whatever happens," Cogsley told him, "just maintain control!"

Surprised by the ease with which his enemy had evaded the blow, but still determined to deliver one, Navin drew the house's other arm back and immediately threw another punch. This one Luger also evaded, but just barely. Then Navin turned with the momentum and drove the house's left elbow into Luger's nose. The elf howled in pain and rage and stumbled back, covering his face with his hands.

"Ha! Take that!" Navin hooted victoriously. Seizing his chance, he brought the house around and rushed at Luger again, ready for another blow.

But the elf was prepared this time. He felt the shockwaves coming from the house's footsteps. The instant it reached him, he ducked the blow and grabbed the remaining arm, then wrenched it off at the elbow like the last one.

"We've lost the other one!" Navin hollered.

"We have to retreat!" said Cogsley.

But before they could do anything, Luger grabbed the house, spun around once and heaved it away. The mobile building landed with a crash in the stony dirt. Everyone inside was thrown about like the contents of a blender. When the house came to rest, Cogsley looked at the instrument panel. "All systems are down," he said. "We're dead in the water!"

Navin turned around. "Em!" he cried desperately. "Emily, get up! You have to get up!" His sister remained where she was. "Emily, please! They said you're the only one who can stop the giant! Em, you have to get up! I can't do this without you!" But Emily didn't so much as twitch. Outside they heard the heavy thumping of Luger's approaching footsteps, and seconds later his huge hand came crashing through the back wall. Morrie screamed as he jumped out of the way. While all this was happening, Navin continued to watch his sister for any sign of response. "Em, please," he begged. A tear formed in his eye. "You have to come back to us. We need you." The house shook again and Luger struck it, this time with both fists. Now he was trying to smash the house with his enemies inside it. "Emily, come on! You can't fight it. Don't give up!"

"They need you, Master," said the spirit. "But you can't help them like this. Just give in to the stone and harness its power. The stone can destroy the beast with a single blow. Just let it take you."

No, Emily answered resolutely. I can do it without you.

"But how can you possibly defeat such a monstrosity without being one yourself?"

By not fighting alone. And she came awake. The first thing she did was to look around her, and the first one she saw was her brother. "Navin," she said weakly.

"Em!" Navin cried. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine for now," she answered. "Listen, get back in the driver's seat. We're gonna fight this thing, and I'll need your help."

Navin looked around at the wreckage. "But the house is done for," he said. "Both arms are gone, and we can't get out with that thing hanging around. And there's no possible way for us to outrun it."

Leon put a hand on his shoulder, silencing him. "Let her speak, Navin," he said. "What do you plan to do, Emily?"

Emily's eyes sparkled determinedly. "I'm going to rebuild the house. Then we'll fight this guy, and win."

Navin and Leon smiled, and then Navin rushed back to the pilot's chair. "So what happens now?" asked Cogsley.

"I don't know," answered Navin, "but stay in that chair."

No sooner had Navin taken his seat than an intense light rushed out from Emily's stone. It suffused throughout the whole house, encompassing every wire, gear and pump. Then it covered the exterior of the house and branched out, seeking the severed limbs. The arms came back and latched into their proper places. "Well, look at that!" exclaimed Cogsley. "All systems are back online!"

Navin lashed out with both legs and delivered a powerful double kick to Luger's gut. The elf, pumped up with adrenaline and blind to everything except reducing the house to so much rubble, was caught off guard and suddenly felt the air leave his lungs with a great whoosh and a sharp pain in his midsection. The force knocked him away several hundred yards. "I'm gonna use some of the auxiliary power to push us back up," Navin said. "You ready?"

"I was built ready."

"Punch it!"

Cogsley stomped on the pedal at his feet, and some of the reserve power was shunted into the arms. Soon, they heard the whirring of drive shafts and gears. The arms were having trouble pushing the house back upright. "More power, Emily! We need more power!"

Emily's face contorted into an expression of someone trying to lift a log. The air sizzled and sparked with the power coming from her stone. Soon, the house was upright again, fists clenched and facing Luger's hulking form.

Furious with having his victory snatched from him and mad with rage, Luger threw his fist forward, striking the house in the center of its torso. The instant contact was made, Emily surrounded his entire forearm with energy. The elf pulled back reflexively and screamed in pain while his hand sizzled as it was cooked.

"Now, Navin!" Emily shouted. "Hit him now!"

"With pleasure," her brother growled. He pulled back on the left lever, drawing back the house's left arm, then shoved it forward, driving the metal fist into the elf's face. The impact drove Luger back so quickly that he was unable to catch himself, and he hit the ground with an earth-shaking crash. "That's what you get when you mess with my family!"

"Darn straight," agreed Emily. "Now let's give him everything we've got."

"The honor and pleasure are all mine," Navin replied. "Ring the triangle. It's dinnertime!" He drew back the house's right arm, and with a yell drove it forward. Emily shunted the stone's power into the drive and propelled the fist on, straight for Luger's ugly face. The elf saw the blow coming and moving to defend himself but was too slow, and instinctively turned his head sideways to protect his eyes. As a result, the fist struck him in the cheek, cutting skin and breaking bone and knocking out several teeth. The blow drove him off the cliff, and he fell screaming into the deep valley below.

"Yeah!" Navin cheered. "We did it! We beat him!"

Suddenly, everything started shutting down again. "We're losing power!" Cogsley reported.

Navin looked back to see Emily stumbling, an exhausted look on her face. "Em?" he asked. She began to sway, and Navin was begin-ning to worry. "Emily?" Then, with a tired sigh, she fell. "Emily!" Navin jumped up and rushed to her side. "Don't worry, you'll be fine! We're gonna get help!"

Her last memory before passing out was Navin rushing around trying to find someone to help him.

Then everything went black.


	8. Epilogue

Emily slowly came awake. The first thing she noticed as her leaden lids lifted was the pale golden glow of sunlight filtering through the thin material of the window curtains. The second thing she noticed as the haze of sleep dissipated was the dull thump and gentle vibration of what strangely felt like an ordered and consistently-patterned earth quake. She drew a deep breath and groaned. She felt awful. Her body felt like it was made of cement, her limbs heavy as iron rods and stiff as boards; even the simple act of turning her head was difficult. She didn't know how long she'd been out, but she did know that she was still alive.

As she became more aware of her surroundings, she looked around and realized that she was in her bedroom. When she sat up, the clock above her chimed twice, indicating it was two o'clock. And judging by the amount of light outside, it was afternoon.

Then she heard sizzling. Her curiosity roused, she swung her legs out from under the sheets and slid out of bed. The instant she stood and tried to step forward her legs collapsed and she fell to her knees. Taking in a few deep breaths, she grunted and pushed herself upright again. Her legs were shaky with exhaustion and disuse, but this time they held her weight. Slowly, she took a step forward. She didn't fall, so she took another. And another, and another. Down the hallway, she followed her sound and smell to their source. When she reached the kitchen, she peered inside and saw a woman with blonde hair standing at the stove, cooking breakfast. Even from this angle, she looked like someone very familiar.

"Mom?"

The woman turned around to see who was addressing her, and smiled. "Emily," she said softly.

Emily instantly knew who it was. "Mom!" she cried, and ran forward into her arms. Her mother grunted with the impact, and Emily started to cry as she held her close. "If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up," Emily sobbed.

"This isn't a dream, honey," Karen said softly. "It's okay. Everything's going to be all right now. We're going home."

Emily looked up into her mother's eyes, her own still running. She wanted nothing more than to go home with what was left of her family, but knew that even though she wanted to, she wouldn't be able. "No, Mom," she said. "Only you and Navin are going home. I have to stay here." She fingered the stone hanging around her neck. "Even if I tried to leave, I think something would stop me."

"Then I'll stay here until we can all go home together."

Emily was stunned. "What? But you can't stay here! You have no idea what we're up against. It's too dangerous for you to stay here!"

Karen waved a hand. "Hang the danger," she said. "I'm not gonna chicken out and leave you on your own, Emily." Looking her daughter in the eye, she added, "And quite frankly, I don't care what we're up against. I'm sticking with you."

"But Mom," Emily argued, "I'm being serious."

"So am I."

"I can't let you stay here in good conscience," Emily said. "I won't let you get hurt or worse on my account."

"I appreciate your concern, honey," Karen said, "but my home is wherever you and your brother are. And remember, I'm still your mother." Emily's eyes still argued with her. "Don't bother," she concluded. "I'm staying here and nothing you can say will convince me otherwise. Whatever happens, we're going to work through it together. Okay?"

Emily nodded. "Okay."

"Now that's all cleared up, would you please explain to me just exactly how we got here? Navin says this is all your fault."

Emily never got to answer, because before she could even open her mouth, someone called, "She's awake!"

A boy with brown hair came running into the room. "Em!" he cried happily.

"Navin!" Emily cried back, taking her brother in her arms and holding him tight. "You did good," she said softly.

"You both performed admirably," Leon said as he entered. "Your mother should be very proud."

"I've always been proud of them," Karen replied.

"So we won?" asked Emily.

The smile fell from Leon's face. "For now," he answered. "I wish it were the end of all this, but it's just the beginning. Surely, the elf king now knows the strength of your potential. He will stop at nothing to kill you, Stonekeeper, even if it means destroying every innocent life in Alledia to find you."

"We'll be ready," Navin said. "If we can kick the giant dude's butt, then I'm sure—"

"Luger was powerful," Leon interrupted, "but his overconfidence was what ultimately did him in. He was just one elf. Taking on the entire elf army will be a different matter entirely. And in order to be ready, we'll need to work hard and prepare. Your training will begin tomorrow, so get some rest." His smile began to tug at the corner of his mouth again. "But it looks like you all have some catching up to do, so I'll let you be." He turned and started to walk away.

"Leon?" Emily called.

He turned back to her. "Yes?"

Emily walked up to him, and without warning, planted a light kiss on his furry cheek, then wrapped him in a hug. "Thank you. For everything." And she let him go.

Leon stood there for a long minute, staring at her. He had spent much his life on his own, beyond the aid of his friends in the underground resistance. True he had developed relations with many of them, but all of them were more or less business. So when Emily kissed his cheek and then wrapped him in a hug, he wasn't quite sure how to react. But something deep inside told him that this was a heartfelt gesture of thanks, and decided that it was only fair to hug her back. "You're welcome, Emily," he said. After he released her, he added, "I'll go now, and let you catch up with each other. Then you should get some rest." With that departing remark, he left.

The three stared after him. "Well," said Karen, "he seems like a very nice…animal person."

"The best," Emily replied. "He's the one who helped us through all this."

An expression of surprise crossed Karen's face. "You two certainly made some interesting friends while I was away."

"Master Emily," a familiar voice cried happily.

"Miskit!" Emily called back, then noticed a thick white bandage. "Your arm!" she exclaimed. "Are you hurt?"

Miskit held up the damaged limb. "Oh, this is nothing," she answered dismissively. "It'll repair itself in a day or two." She looked at Emily with a smirk. "You forget, I'm not organic."

Now Karen was very surprised. "You're mechanical?"

"Yes," Miskit replied. "An anthrobot, to be precise."

"Miskit," Emily said, "thanks so much for looking after me."

"Just doing my job," the pink rabbit answered. "It's what I was built for."

"Well then, you're doing a great job."

Just then, a pale yellow robot with crimson joints and a protruding lower jaw walked up to Navin. "We just got the main engine back online, chief," he said, his voice a buzzing baritone. "We'll be operational at the end of the day."

"Great," Navin replied. "Good work, Cogsley. I'll see you in the control room."

"I'll be there. I need to wash my head."

"My goodness!" exclaimed Karen. "You two sound so…grown-up. I'm very impressed." Navin and Emily looked at her with proud smiles. Then Karen turned to look down the hall. "So this is our new home." Her children led her down the corridor. "Not quite the future I imagined for us, but I guess it'll have to do. I could get used to this." She stepped up to a window that Navin had just opened. The wind blew in through the breach, ruffling their hair and refreshing them. They watched the landscape pass by as the house walked along.

From a cliff side not far behind, an elf watched. It was Prince Trellis, though he'd now rescinded that title. He'd given up trying to impress his father, who he'd come to realize would never allow him to ascend the throne even if he had successfully proven himself. So he turned and left as the house that held his former enemies cleared the forest and continued into a lush valley, bound for a place he'd likely never know.


End file.
